ISTANBUL - The indictment against journalist Zeynep Kuray on charges of “making illegal organization propaganda” based on her online media posts was accepted by the court. Kuray's news posts and journalistic activities were criminalized in the indictment. 

 

Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office prepared an indictment against journalist Zeynep Kuray for “making illegal organization propaganda” based on her online media posts. The indictment includes Kuray's posts on virtual media platforms facebook and X (twitter) accounts since 2014, as well as posts on youTube accounts allegedly belonging to Kuray. 

 

'EVIDENCE' FROM NEWS POSTS 

 

Kuray's photographs taken with YPG and YPJ fighters in Kobanê in February 2014 as part of her journalistic activities were included in the indictment as “evidence”. In the indictment, which also includes a press release by the YPG as evidence, news reports titled “Ulaş Bayraktaroğlu was commemorated by thousands in Kadıköy, Ulaş Bayraktaroğlu is immortal” in May 2017 and “The police attacked the commemoration of İbrahim Kaypakkaya” on the same date were considered as “praising the leaders of the organization”. 

 

Also in the indictment, the post “Many people were beaten and detained during a protest in Şirinevler, Istanbul, following the images published about the use of chemical weapons against HPG guerrillas in South Kurdistan” and the photos of Kurdish politicians Sakine Cansız, Fidan Doğan and Leyla Şaylemez, who were murdered in Paris, the capital of France, were also criminalized. The indictment also includes an interview Kuray gave to a YouTube account after returning to Turkey from Kobanê, and it was claimed that Kuray denigrated the military in the interview.  

 

CRIMINAL CHARGES FOR 'MAKING PROPAGANDA FOR AN ILLEGAL ORGANIZATION' 

 

In the evaluation section of the indictment, it was claimed that Kuray's posts “attempted to justify the organization, sanctified the dead members of the organization, praised the leaders of the organization, encouraged armed struggle, aimed to spread the organization's actions and activities to large masses, and legitimized the organization” and demanded that she be sentenced for “making propaganda for an illegal organization”. 

 

It was also claimed that Kuray's crime of “making propaganda for an illegal organization” was repeated, and that the court should make a decision in this context.

 

'NEWS POSTS ARE NOT A CRIME'

 

Journalist Kuray stated that her visit to Kobanê was within the scope of her journalistic work. “I was there to report news. The soldiers treated us very badly on the way back. I tried to explain this in the interview. I took the photos there. The rest are news shared from various sources. In addition, some of my retweets (quotes) in the file are also news. I don't think that my posts carry an element of crime” she said.

 

The indictment prepared by the prosecutor's office was accepted by Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court. The first hearing will be held on December 2.