Turkish Cypriot journalist faces 10 year imprisonment over an op-ed

Ali Kişmir, head of Turkish Cypriot Press Workers` Union (Basın-Sen) said he could be facing up to ten years imprisonment over an opinion editorial he wrote during the rise of Ersin Tatar as head of the Turkish Cypriot community.

Kişmir, who has been deported from Turkey, is facing criminal proceedings by the illegal regime in the Turkish-occupied, northern part of Cyprus over the charge of “insulting the security forces” with the so-called “prosecution” demanding a 10-year jail sentence.

Kişmir spoke to CNA noting that Ersin Tatar and the "Turkish embassy" in the occupied areas are behind the prosecution.

“They want to oppress us, they want our submission,” he added, noting that the “trial” will start on Monday.

The president of the lawyer’s association Hasan Esendağlı said in a post on social networks that he will assume the defense of Kişmir and expressed concern over developments happening in the occupied areas. “This is the practice of oppressive regimes to investigate people over criminal cases because of thoughts, ideas, words and writings, we have no other choice but to resist them,” he said.

The Union of Cyprus Journalists has expressed their support for the Turkish Cypriot journalist.  Moreover, the prosecution of Kişmir has already been strongly condemned by the European and International Federation of Journalists, while a delegation of the UCJ will be joined by Basın-Sen members at a protest rally outside the "criminal court" on Monday 28 February to express their strong protest against the prosecution and attempted silencing of Ali Kişmir.