Northern Cyprus: Trial against Basin Sen union leader Ali Kişmir opens tomorrow
The trial against the President of the Cyprus Turkish Journalists’ Union, Ali Kişmir, is set to begin in Northern Cyprus on 26 November 2024. Kişmir is accused of allegedly “targeting the Security Forces Command and insulting the moral personality of the institution” in an opinion article published on social media four years ago. The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ/IFJ) call once again on the authorities of Northern Cyprus to withdraw charges against him.
Ali Kişmir is prosecuted for an opinion article published in 2020, in which he allegedly “insulted” the Turkish Cypriot security forces, leading to accusations of “insults and defamation”. The prosecution is seeking a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. The trial has been postponed many times since October 2023.
“We strongly condemn any actions that undermine the will of Turkish Cypriots, their freedom of expression, and their right to live in accordance with their own values and interests. We firmly believe that this lawsuit, disguised as a legal challenge to the “wording,” is in fact an attempt to silence dissent and curtail the collective voice of our community,” Basın-Sen said in a statement.
The Federations stand in solidarity with Ali and call for his acquittal: “The heavy penalty requested against Kişmir is disproportionate and could set a dangerous precedent for all journalists who report on the Cyprus conflict. We call on journalists’ unions’ solidarity to denounce this mockery of justice and we ask the Court to acknowledge the public interest of Ali’s journalistic work and drop all charges against him.”
