Newspaper Fined for Incurring State Officials

Two responsibles of the daily Vakit have been fined heavily in a court decision on grounds that they deliberately rendered target the State Council members who ruled against the wearing of headscarfs by schoolm teachers. Council was raided 3 months later

Erol Önderoğlu

Daily Vakit concessionaire Nuri Aykon and chief responsible Harun Aykan are fined by Istanbul 10th High Criminal Court for deliberately rendering target the Council of State members who approved the termination of duties of a elementary school teacher on grounds that she wore a head scarf on the way to work.

Aykon is to pay a preliminary fine of 23 thousand 675 YTL (around 14 thousand euros) and Aksoy 12 thousand 102 YTL (around 7 thousand euros). In case they pay the fine in 10 days the case will drop, otherwise it will continue.

On another account, both journalists are on trial in a seperate case on allegations of "insulting state officials via press" and "humiliating state's judiciary".

Extremist gunman raided the Council

The daily had published the photographs and names of the Council members on its front page, following the Council ruling, which angered many extreme Islamists.

Three months later, a young extremist lawyer raided the offices of the State Council and killed Mustafa Yücel Özbilgin and wounded four others.

Public prosecutor's office filed the case against the journalists following the incident.(EÖ/EÜ)

Origin

BÄ°A News Center

Erol Önderoğlu

[email protected]

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İstanbul Üniversitesi Fransız Filolojisi Bölümü'nden mezun. 1996'da muhabiri olduğu uluslararası Sınır Tanımayan Gazeteciler (RSF) örgütünün Türkiye temsilcisi olarak çalışıyor. 1999'dan beri İPS İletişim Vakfı'nın projesi olan bianet sitesinde, Hukuki Destek Masası koordinatörü, ifade özgürlüğü editörü ve yayın yönetmeni olarak çalıştı. 4.800'den fazla imzalı haber ve makalesi bulunuyor. Bizim Gazete ve Güncel Hukuk dergisi için haber ve makaleler yazdı. Halen bianet'te Medya Gözlem Raporları'nı hazırlıyor.