Journalist Belge Acquitted

An Istanbul court on Thursday acquitted "Radikal" newspaper journalist Murat Belge on charges of attempting to influence the outcome of judicial proceedings in an article he wrote last year that challenged the decision of an Istanbul administrative court to ban an academic conference on Armenians under the Ottoman Empire.

Belge faced six months to 10 years imprisonment if found guilty and was the last defendant on trial in a case where four other journalists were acquitted on the same charges in April.

Charges against Radikal and Milliyet newspaper journalists Ismet Berkan, Haluk Sahin, Erol Katircigolu and Hasan Cemal in the same case were dropped, but the favourable verdict was appealed against by the prosecutor and taken to the Court of Appeals.

Only Belge's most recent article was deemed in exception of a statue of limitations imposed for offences committed in writing and through publications, which is why his case continued.

The Istanbul Bagcilar 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance on Thursday dropped charges based on one of Belge's articles due to the statue of limitations and acquitted him on the other.

The charges against Belge and previous co-defendants were leveled on a criminal complaint made by a "Jurists Union" who have, since launch of the tribunal proceedings in February, been actively involved in the case demanding to be accepted as an intervening party. (EO/II/YE)