Prison Sentence for Journalist for Criticism of Headscarf Ban

The Bakırköy (Istanbul) Criminal Court of First Instance handed down a prison sentence fo one year, two months and 17 days to Mustafa Karaalioğlu, General Publications Director of Star newspaper. He was charged for insulting the Constitutional Court on the grounds of his article entitled "The talks are over, the contract is broken" published on 6 June 2008.

The article criticized the dismissal of a law by the Constitutional Court that would have lifted the headscarf ban at universities.

"Law is the tool for those who sanctify the war"

Karaalioğlu had pointed out that the regulation had been approved by 411 votes in the Turkish Grand National Assembly and supported by 80 percent of the common people. "In fact, democracy and the judiciary were abolished", he had written. The article concluded:

"The constitutional system does not stand for a common liability and regulation any more. The judiciary is the battering ram for the political war against the AK Party and for the hostility and hatred against the people. Law is a tool for those people who sanctify the war. The law can be used as the crutches or the bazooka to win the war", Karaalioğlu had written.

Suspended prison sentence

The complaint against the journalist was filed by lawyer Mahmut Tanal, member of the Provincial Disciplinary Committee of the Republican People's Party (CHP). Thereupon, the Bakırköy Press Prosecutor, Ali Çakır, opened a trial against Karaalioğlu and demanded a prison sentence of 14.5 years under charges of "inciting the public to hatred and hostility" and "insulting public officials on duty in a council".

The court acquitted the journalist of charges of "inciting hatred and hostility". The suspended prison sentence or more than one year was handed down on the grounds of alleged insult of members of the high court. The sentence has to be served if Karaalioğlu would be found guilty of the same offence within the coming five years. The decision was taken recently and published by the Haber Türk newspaper on Monday (5 July). (EÖ/VK)