Journalist Hakkı Boltan acquitted at first hearing 

2021-02-24 17:23:56


	 

	DİYARBAKIR - Boltan was put on trial on the grounds that his name was mentioned in the list of delegates seized in a police raid on the office of Democratic Society Congress (DTK). He was facing up to 15 years in prison.

	 

	In his first hearing held at the Diyarbakır 10th Heavy Penal Court today (February 24), journalist Hakkı Boltan has been acquitted.

	 

	A lawsuit was filed against the journalist on the grounds that his name was mentioned as "ÖGC Press Hakkı Boltan" in the list of delegates seized during a police raid on the office of Democratic Society Congress (DTK). Boltan was facing 7 years, 6 months to 15 years in prison on charge of "membership of a terrorist organization."

	 

	The prosecutor of the hearing announced his opinion as to the accusations at the first hearing today and demanded that journalist Hakkı Boltan be convicted of the offence charged. Handing down its ruling after a short recess, the court board has ruled that Boltan shall be acquitted.

	 

	BACKGROUND

	 

	Hakkı Boltan was detained as part of an investigation against the DTK in Turkey's Kurdish-majority Diyarbakır province on September 30, 2020.

	 

	The indictment issued against him was accepted by the Diyarbakır 10th Heavy Penal Court. The 55-page indictment alleged that the DTK was established upon the order of imprisoned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan as the "Kurdistan Constituent Assembly."

	 

	After the Court of Cassation upheld the conviction Selma Irmak and Aysel Tuğluk, the former DTK Co-Chairs, for "being members of a terrorist organization" over their congress-related activities, it was considered a precedent as to the DTK's being an "armed terrorist organization."

	 

	Accordingly, Boltan's being a delegate of the congress, two press statements attended by him and one social media message were cited as "evidence" for his "membership of a terrorist organization."

	 

	The indictment briefly said that "there was adequate evidence that would suffice to open a court case against him" on the offense charged.

	 

	Boltan faced 7.5 years to 15 years in prison on charge of "being a member of a terrorist organization."