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Freedom of expression on trial in Turkey as journalists face life in jail

FREEDOM of thought and expression is on trial in Turkey, lawyers warned yesterday as an Istanbul court postponed proceedings against nine journalists facing jail on terror charges.

Prosecutors are seeking life sentences for the nine on charges of “disrupting the unity of the state and the integrity of the nation,” along with “membership of an illegal organisation” and “making propaganda for an illegal organisation.”

They worked for Ozgur Gundem, a pro-Kurdish newspaper shut down by presidential decree in 2016 under the state of emergency imposed following a failed military coup.

Award-winning writer Asli Erdogan, linguist Necmiye Alpay and lawyer Eren Keskin are among those facing trial. They took part in a campaign in which members of the public acted as editor-in-chief as an act of solidarity.

A lawyer for the newspaper demanded the acquittal of all staff during a hearing yesterday and argued that what was truly on trial was freedom of thought and expression in Turkey.

The next hearing in the case will now take place in November.

Turkey is ranked 157th in the Reporters Without Borders 2019 World Press Freedom Index.

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