DİYARBAKIR -  In the case where journalist Abdurrahman Gök is on trial, the file has been sent to the prosecutor's office for the preparation of the opinion.

 

The trial of journalist Abdurrahman Gök, who photographed the murder of Kemal Kurkut by the police during the 2017 Newroz celebrations in Diyarbakır, was on trial with a request of a prison sentence up to 20 with the accusation "being a member of a terrorist organization" and "spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization". Gök and his lawyers Resul Tamur and Mehmet Emin Aktar were present at the hearing held at the Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court. Dicle Fırat Journalists Association Co-chair Dicle Müftüoğlu and Gök's colleagues attended the hearing.

 

'ANONYMOUS WITNESS STATEMENT IS A LIE'

 

The claims of the witness codanamed 'Patience' who claimed that both Kemal Kurkut and Abdurrahman Gök is a member of a terrorist organization and Gök was instructed by PKK to take the photo of the shooting to spread false news about the incident was asked to Gök. Stating that the claims of the anonymous witness is a lie, Gök underlined that the information the witness gave about him being a journalist who graduated from the faculty of communication is public knowladge and that it can be obtained from the internet.

 

'CALLING KURKUT A MEMBER OF THE ORGANIZATION IS OFFENDING'

 

Stating that the witness calling Kurkut a terrorist is offending, Gök said: "The anonymous witness claims that I took the photo because PKK told me to do it. It sounds like I made an arrangement with Kurkut about taking his photo while he was being killed by the police. This is ridiculous."

 

'THIS IS CASE OF ANIMOSITY'

 

Gök's attorney Mehmet Emin Akar told that using anonymous witnesses in political cases is very common and also a disaster in terms of law, and said: "My client photographed the killing of Kurkut because he is a journalist and that is his job. This is a case of animosity."

 

'THE LIES TOLD BY THE ANONYMOUS WITNESS WAS REVEALED' 

 

Drawing attention to the fact that the anonymous witness told that he met with Gök in the Sur district of Diyarbakır back in 2016- 2017, Attorney Resul Tamur said his client was in Iraq as a journalist at the time and he was registered in Irak as a journalist. Tamur told that they submitted that document to the file.

 

PROSECUTOR'S OPINION

 

Accepting the request of the prosecutor who requested the file to be sent to him for him to prepare his opinion, the court adjourned the hearing to September 30.