Jail term for Oğuz Güven in the “tweet” trial

Cumhuriyet.com.tr Editor-in-Chief Oğuz Güven has appeared for the third time before a judge in the trial brought against him for a post made on Cumhuriyet newspaper’s Twitter account about the death in a traffic accident of Denizli Republic Chief Prosecutor Mustafa Alper. The Republic prosecutor submitted his opinion on Güven, who remained in detention for 32 days having been targeted by Sabah newspaper thanks to the announcement tweet that was corrected in 55 seconds, at the previous session and sought a custodial sentence of between 2 years 9 months and 12 years 9 months for Güven on the counts of “making a terrorist organisation’s propaganda” and “publishing a terrorist organisation’s announcements.”
 
Güven’s journalist friends and lawyers attended the trial heard at Istanbul Serious Crime Court No 28 to give support to Güven.
 
I SEEK MY ACQUITTAL
 
Güven said the following in the statement he made in defence against the prosecution opinion on the merits: “Learned presiding judge and learned members of the bench, 35 years of my life that is nearing sixty years has been spent conducting journalism. I have also spent twenty years in my profession, which I started as a reporter, in a managerial capacity. While being unacquainted with judicial complexes for 35 years apart from covering events there, for the past seven months, apart from being held captive in Silivri along with my other colleagues from Cumhuriyet newspaper, I have been unable to get away from judicial complexes and courts thanks to the investigations and trials initiated into reports that have been made. And the sole reason for this is that we report the truth and oppose those in power. Freedom of thought and expression is indispensable for democracy. If journalists are silent the people’s voice will become inaudible and democracy will also be silent. I wind up this defence of mine against this prosecution opinion by repeating my words. My request of you is, while endeavouring to ensure Turkey’s status as a law-based, democratic and contemporary country and the existence of freedom of thought and expression, not to create a new offence of reading intention. I seek my acquittal in this trial which does not conform to any rule of law or penal article.” Güven’s attorney Tora Pekin said that the charge the prosecutor had filed against Güven was a ludicrous charge.


 
Following the completion of the defence by lawyers, a recess was taken in the trial for the decision. The decision was made known at 11.32 and Oğuz Güven was sentenced to three years and one month’s imprisonment.
 
IN DETENTION FOR 32 DAYS
 
The indictment into Oğuz Güven, who was detained thanks to a tweet in the form, “A truck has mowed down Chief Prosecutor Mustafa Alper, who drafted the first FETO indictment” on Cumhuriyet newspaper’s account, was drafted by Istanbul Republic Chief Prosecution’s Press Office. Güven’s prosecution was called for with a custodial sentence of between two and half years and ten and a half years sought on the counts of “making a terrorist organisation’s propaganda” and “printing and publishing a terrorist organisation’s publications.” Güven remained in detention for 32 days on account of the charges.
 
DETAINED ON 15 MAY
 
Oğuz Güven was detained on 15 May by Istanbul Penal Judgship of the Peace No 2 on Istanbul Republic Chief Prosecution’s Press Office’s charges that he had committed the offence of “making a terrorist organisation’s propaganda.” It was asserted in the court order that a tweet in the form, “A truck has mowed down Chief Prosecutor Mustafa Alper, who drafted the first FETO indictment” was posted on Cumhuriyet newspaper’s account, Oğuz Güven had statutory responsibility for checking tweets, and the wording “a truck mowed down” was especially selected so as to create the perception in society of what would befall those who drafted indictments against FETO rather than to sensationalise and emphasise the news. Güven had stated in his defence that he did not post the tweet they had read, this tweet was posted by one of his editors, he was the website’s Editor-in-Chief, he intervened in 55 seconds in any case, they post 200-300 tweets per day, an error occurred here, we corrected it in 55 seconds and no such headline or expression occurs in their reporting.