DİYARBAKIR - Stating that they were accused of saying, "Why didn't you make a magazine or sports news," MA editor Aziz Oruç said: "It is not possible to give up on a truth without writing it."

 

The first hearing of Dicle Fırat Journalists Association (DFG) Co-chairperson Serdar Altan, Mesopotamia Agency (MA) editor Aziz Oruç, Xwebûn newspaper Editor-in-Chief Mehmet Ali Ertaş, journalists Zeynel Abidin Bulut, Ömer Çelik, Mazlum Doğan Güler, İbrahim Koyuncu, Neşe Toprak, Elif Üngür, Abdurrahman Öncü, Suat Doğuhan, Remziye Temel, Ramazan Geciken, Lezgin Akdeniz and Mehmet Şahin who detained on June 8, 2022 and arrested on June 16 as part of the Amed-based investigation, as well as the pending Esmer Tunç, İbrahim Bayram and Mehmet Yalçın, continues throughout the second day.

 

Journalists and their lawyers who were on trial for "being a member of a terrorist organization" were present in the case at the Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court. HDP Law Commission Co-Spokesperson Serhat Eren, Human Rights Association (İHD), Lawyers Association for Freedom (ÖHD), Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) and Turkish Journalists' Union (TGS) lawyers attended.

 

'WE WILL CONTINUE DOING OUR WORK'

 

The hearing, which was expected to continue with Mehmet Şahin's unfinished defense, continued with Aziz Oruç's defense because the Kurdish translator was not ready. Oruç, who started his defense by greeting the journalists who have not left them alone during their 400 days of detention, said:" We will continue to do our work. I was detained in prison for 15 months in 2011 and was acquitted, and that I was re-arrested and acquitted in 2020. I was acquitted due to my journalism activities in another hearing I was tried 6 months ago. I was detained again and I am in the dock. The news I report and the programs I produced were the subject of accusations. They accused me for reporting the news and shooting the programs".

 

'THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF PROOF IN THE INDICTMENT'

 

Stating that he has been reporting thousands of news since 2012, Oruç said: "The image of the journalist's news has been shown as evidence. I have never seen such a sloppy indictment. What is the accusation, what is the evidence? "There is no such thing in the indictment. The evidence does not fit, the crime does not fit, the person does not fit, the history does not fit. 11 programs he made were selected and added to the indictment and made the subject of accusation. We will not stop defending our news and programs."

  

'WHO WILL GIVE THE ACCOUNT OF 400 DAYS'

 

Stating that they know that journalism is a shirt of fire, Oruç said: "We expect fairness to emerge in this hearing rather than release. Who will give the  account for 400 days. Unfortunately, no one will."

 

The trial continues with the defenses of other journalists.