Journalists Imprisoned in 2017 - Cuma Kaya
| Publisher | Committee to Protect Journalists |
| Publication Date | 31 December 2017 |
| Cite as | Committee to Protect Journalists, Journalists Imprisoned in 2017 - Cuma Kaya, 31 December 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5a5c941ca.html [accessed 6 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Zaman | Imprisoned in Turkey | July 26, 2016
| Job: | Columnist/Commentator |
| Medium: | Internet, Print |
| Beats Covered: | Politics |
| Gender: | Male |
| Local or Foreign: | Local |
| Freelance: | No |
| Charge: | Anti-state, False News |
| Length of Sentence: | Not Sentenced |
| Reported Health Problems: | No |
Istanbul police detained Cuma Kaya, a columnist for the shuttered daily Zaman, on July 26, 2016. A court on August 8, 2016, ordered that he be jailed pending trial.
Kaya was not included in CPJ's 2016 prison census because at the time CPJ was unable to reach a legal representative for more information about his case to evaluate potential links to his journalism.
Kaya is on trial alongside 30 journalists and media workers and an academic. All are charged with "attempting, through violence and force, to disrupt and replace the order as recognized by Turkey's Constitution," "attempting through violence and force to eliminate or prevent Parliament from carrying out its duties," and "being a member of an armed terrorist organization." Not all of the defendants are in custody.
The trial's first hearing began in Istanbul on September 18, 2017, according to local reports.
In the indictment, reviewed by CPJ, the prosecution said that the defendants' journalism, including opinion pieces or their employment by pro-Gülen outlets such as the daily Zaman and Cihan News Agency, is evidence that the journalists were part of the so-called Fethullah Gülen Terrorist Organization/Parallel State Structure (FETÖ/PDY).
The indictment accused the journalists – which it referred to as "the media force of the terrorist organization" – of producing false news to weaken the government, insult or humiliate the authorities, attempt to disrupt the peace, and to create an environment suitable for a coup.
Kaya denies the charges, according to the indictment. If convicted, he faces multiple life sentences, without parole.
The next court date is scheduled for December 8, 2017, according to press reports.
Kaya was detained at Silivri Prison in Istanbul.
