Members of the journalists’ unions from both sides of the dividing line will gather outside the ‘court’ in the north on Monday to protest against the decision of the Turkish Cypriot authorities to charge journalist Ali Kismir for an article he wrote a year-and-a-half ago.
Kismir faces criminal charges for an article, written at the time of Ersin Tatar’s election as ‘president’, in which he strongly criticised Turkey, the AKP government and the Turkish occupation forces in the north for interfering in the affairs of the Turkish Cypriots.
He is being charged with offending the security forces, a charge that could lead to a prison sentence of up to 10 years. Kismir had recently been deported from Turkey and was informed that he would face criminal charges by Turkish Cypriot police who also want to ban him from leaving the north.
The prosecution of Kismir, who is president of the Turkish Cypriot journalists’ union Basin Sen, has been condemned by the European and International Federation of Journalists. A delegation of the Cyprus union of journalists (Esk) will also be present outside the court on Monday to show its solidarity with Kismir.
Kismir was unfazed by the criminal charges, telling the Cyprus News Agency that behind the prosecution were Tatar and the Turkey’s embassy. “They want to suppress us. They are seeking our subjugations,” he was quoted as saying, and defiantly stated that the opposition would not give in to the pressure.
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