The trial our reporter Seda Taşkın is being tried was seen at Muş 2nd criminal court. Hakkı Boltan from Free Journalists Initiative, Özgün Özçer ,reporter from P24, Muş HDP parliamentarian Sevin Coşkun and Taşkın's journalist friends followed the trial. While Taşkın's attorneys Gulan Çağın Kaleli and Ebru Akkan was ready in court, Taşkın attended her trial via Sound and image informatics system (SEGBİS). Attorner Rıdvan Konak accompanied her in Sincan Prison.

 

'I DON'T ACCEPT THE CHARGES'

 

Taşkın, making her last defence, said she did not accept the charges and stated: "I started journalism in Ankara. I've been a journalist for the last 3 years. I've been to a lot of places doing my job. I went to Muş, Bitlis and Van to do my job. I've written an article about an old blacksmith in Muş. I went to Varto to do a report about an institutions working on child development. I did a report on a women who makes sculptures. I made news on culture and life. Non of those articles were put in my file."

 

'I WAS SUBJECTED TO PYHSICAL AND PSYHCOLOGICAL TORTURE'

 

Taşkın anwering to the charges about her staying in ,currently imprisoned 80 year old Sise Bingöl's house: " Sise Bingöl's arrest had repercussions in Turkey's public conscience. As a journalist I wanted to write about that. I've interviewed with her grandchild and her daughter.But i didn't have a chance to write about it. I was called to the precinct to sign some papers. Then i got taken under custody. It was the first time i was taken under custody. While i was kept in anti-terror branch they wanted to strip search me. I resisted. I didn’t let them. Then they handcuffed me behind the back and strip searched me. I was subjected to very ugly attitudes like i was proven guilty.I was subjected to both physical and psychological torture."

 

Taşkın drawing attention to her long imprisonment, said: "I am supposedly in suspicion of fleeing and spoiling evidence. Non of my occupational gear or my phone were given back to me first time i got taken under custody. How can i spoil evidence? The second time i was taken under custody, i was in the police station signing, i was fulfilling my obligations of judicial control.

 

'EVEN MY MAILS ARE BEING SENT TO THE NAME SEDA'

 

Taşkın, who indicated that her name Seda was referred as a code name in the bill of indictment said; " I am being called with this name since the day i was born. I clarified this in the previous trials. I just want to add, that the 200 letters came for me in the prison was sent to the name Seda. Because it is my name, not a code name. My family, my friends, colleagues, everyone calls me Seda.

 

I AM A JOURNALIST 

 

Seda Taşkın emphasizing that the reason she got arrested was the fact that she was doing journalism, continued her defence saying :"The fact that I shared the news of my press agency ,the ones that were not written by me were put in the bill of indictment. I did not commented on those articles. I just shared them. The fact that I work with Dicle News Agency that got shut down with a decree law is evinced as "being a member of a terrorist organisation". DİHA is a legit and official news agency. And I am a journalist. The fact that i am being kept in a prison is a violation of the right to free thinking and free speech.

 

'THE VERDİCT MUST BE JUST'

 

Before Taşkın ended her defence, she mentioned : "People are standing trials since Socrates. The ones who put me in this trial are asking me why i went to Muş. Is freedom of travel suspended and I did not notice? I am a journalist and I love my occupation very much. I just want the verdict to be fair and conscientious."

 

CHIEF JUDGE ADRESSED TAŞKIN AS 'SEDA'

 

While asking Taşkın a question, the chief judge adrressed to her as 'Seda'. Taşkın's attorney Gulan Çağın Kaleli responded to this as " You must have believe that her name actually is Seda since you are addressing her with her name. Because this is why this trial is being postponed the last 2 sessions."

 

'HOW IS IT A CRIME SHARING DIHA'S MICROPHONE ON SOCIAL MEDIA' 

 

After Taşkın's defence, her attorney's took over. Ebru Akkan began to speak saying: " The investigation was started upon an anonymous tip. The denunciation mail was from a mail ending with emniyet@gov.tr. This is without a doubt unlawful. Denunciation mail itself can not be considered an evidence. This investigation is nonprocedural. Opinion as to the accusations is almost identical to the bill of indictment. Prosecution considered Taşkın's news articles about culture and life an allegation. We sent those articles via UYAP as a proof. Prosecution have considered my clients social media share of a DİHA microphone an evidence of a crime. How can a microphone constitute a propaganda crime? The criteria of membership is non existent in this file.

 

Attorneys Kaleli and Konak drawing attention to the verdicts of Constitutional Court and ECHR 's about the freedom of press, demanded her exoneration or otherwise her release with judicial control decision.

 

7 YEARS AND 6 MONTHS OF PRISON SENTENCE TO TAŞKIN

 

After the ten minute break court board decided 3 years 4 months of prison on charge of "Propaganda of an illegal organisation and 4 years 2 months on charge of "Embedding and aiding an illegal organisation without being a member of it.”