Ozkoray who is facing legal proceedings in a number of press cases, was released the following day. His trouble with the law stems from having criticized the army and raising a variety of taboo subjects in his articles, such as the Kurdish issue.

Lawyers Tanrikulu, Korkmaz and Deyars are indicted for misconducting duty and abusing their legal responsibility in connection with compensation cases of 96 villagers from Diyarbakir discrict evacuated and burned in the years 1993 and 1994.

RSF called on the Turkish armed forces to show more respect for press freedom after 312 generals filed suit against the Islamist daily Vakit and columnists, Yenihaber, demanding 367,000 euros in damages for an article.

Gray Wolves carried out a protest in Nicosia toprotest the intervention of EU and USA in TRNC elections. Journalist Kanatli said that he did not carry anything provocative and did not speak to anyone that could have triggered this.

The trial against Özgüden and his two colleagues for insulting the Army continued. The court renewed the arrest warrant against Özgüden. The judge also decided to order all border check points to inform the tribunal of the earlier arrest warrant.

According to an Ankara Court decision, the websites of the weekly Ekmek ve Adalet magazine and the daily Ozgur Politika newspaper were halted. All access to the websites are restricted through filters since months.

Dersim magazine managers Mutlu and Coskun, who are being charged with inciting hatred and hostility, asked the court to be acquitted. Lawyer Demir said the indictment and the study about the case did not say what parts in the magazine constituted crime.

MAZLUMDER emphasized that the prison management made it very difficult for not only the lawyers, but also the lawmakers to see the victims. We are afraid that there are serious human rights violations in the prison, it stated.

Publisher Zarakolu was being charged of inciting hatred, by publishing the book, Trying the September 12, 1980 Regime. Asans book, Pontos Culture, has been cleared of divisiveness. Deniz Zarakolu has been acquitted for his funeral speech.

Journalist Kara, who filmed local governer while he was swimming, faces up to 15 days in prison for disturbing him. He is also charged with swearing though a book he wrote and he also has 13 cases pending at the appeal Court.

RSF has called on RTUK to rescind the one-month suspension it imposed on 5 television stations. RTÜK accuses the television stations of carrying broadcasts defending the unfair interests of their owner, their shareholders and members of the family.

The charges stem from Özgüns 1998 new trial petition in which he accused security forces of brutality in southeastern Anatolia and of murdering journalists belonging to pro-Kurdish newspapers.

Lawyer Ilkiz said TRTs application to cancel the RTUK ordinance was far from seriousness. The ordinance violates the Constitution, we also went to the Council of State, said Sincar of Radio Dunya.

RTUK ordered Radio Dunya off the air for a month for broadcasting a program in Kurdish. Ozic said the recent reforms in Turkey allowed Kurdish broadcasts.

Despite the announcement of democratic reforms prosecutions for beliefs and opinions are still systematically and severely punished by virtue of a repressive legislative arsenal aimed at protecting the state against Kurds, Islamists and far left.

Kara, who stood trial for five separate cases, was sentenced to a year in prison. The court also handed Kara a fine of 20 billion Turkish lira. The journalist was acquitted in one of the cases and another trial was postponed till June 16.

According to a report by BIAs Legal Branch; 2 journalists were arrested in 2002, 21 are still being tried, and 12 were attacked. RTUK ordered TVs and radios off the air for 2,921 days. BIA provides legal assistance to media organizations since 2000.

U.S. Representative Cardin and Human Rights Watch Turkey Researcher Jonathan Sugden on the occasion of the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) Hearing on Internally Displaced Persons this past Tuesday.

In 1996, policemen, who claimed his daughter had escaped to the mountains, raped Kaze Ozlu with sticks. Ozlu took his case to the ECHR. He is now being pressured to back down.

Former army chief of staff gives up any idea of appeal in lawsuit over predator photo. The court ordered Gen. Kivrikoglu to pay costs and 2,000 euros in damages to RSF. It hands over this sum to Benli, Evcimen, Horuz and Sirin who are in prison.