The Istanbul Appeals Court upheld a decision against six Turkish journalists, accused of reporting on two Turkish soldiers killed in Libya.
Journalists Ferhat Çelik, Barış Pehlivan, Hülya Kılınç, Murat Ağırel, Aydın Keser, and Barış Terkoğlu have been tried in what is known as the “MİT member news” case.
Appeals against the prison sentences for the journalists were rejected. The Istanbul 34th High Criminal Court sentenced Keser, Çelik and Ağırel to 4 years 8 months 17 days, for “disclosing information and documents related to intelligence activities.”
Meanwhile, Pehlivan and Kılınç received 3 years and 9 months in prison.
“The 3 years and 9 months prison sentence I received was upheld for covering the funerals of our MIT two martyrs,” Pehlivan said
Ağırel noted, “I was tried because of news I shared about the two sons of the country who were martyred in Libya was approved.”
The journalists were tried under the State Intelligence Services and National Intelligence Organization Law. They were arrested for the “disclosure of relevant information and documents”.