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Turkish reporters face jail for publishing photo

Eighteen Turkish journalists have been charged with spreading terrorist propaganda for publishing a photo of a legal official held at gunpoint by far-left militants in March, local media said, heightening concerns about Turkey's press freedom record.

 

Prosecutors have asked for jail terms of up to 7 1/2 years each for staff from nine newspapers, accusing them in an indictment of trying to portray a terrorist organization "strong and capable enough for any action," according to the reports.

 

The picture of militants holding a gun to the head of Istanbul prosecutor Mehmet Selim Kiraz, who was later killed in a shoot-out, spread widely online.

 

Turkish authorities initially ordered Facebook, Google and other sites to remove it, triggering accusations by academics and rights groups of an authoritarian crackdown.

 

Can Dündar, editor-in-chief of the daily Cumhuriyet newspaper and one of the journalists charged, has said he had intended the photo to portray the dark and ugly face of terrorism.

 


פרסום ראשון: 08.05.15, 12:22