Detained on December 20, 2017 in Muş and released on probation, Mezopotamya Agency reporter Seda Taşkın was arrested in Ankara again on January 22, 2018.
Taşkın’s lawyer Ebru Akkal said that the arrest decision was made by Bitlis Criminal Judgeship of Peace, which heard the case upon Prosecutor’s Office’s objection to the initial verdict. Following her deposition, Taşkın was arrested on the charge of “membership in a terrorist organization”
On October 10, 2018, the court board of the Muş 2nd Heavy Penal Court ruled that Taşkın shall be sentenced to 3 years and 4 months in prison on charge of “propagandizing for a terrorist organization” and 4 years and 2 months in prison on charge of “aiding and abetting a terrorist organization as a non-member”. Taşkın has been sentenced to a total of 7 years and 6 months in prison.
Upon the appeal, Erzurum Regional Court’s 6th Penal Chamber reversed the local court’s judgement regarding Mesopotamia Agency (MA) journalist Seda Taşkın, who was sentenced to 7 and a half years in prison last fall. The appellate court sentenced Taşkın to 1 year 11 months and 11 days in prison for “terrorist propaganda,” and deferred the pronouncement of the judgement. The court acquitted Taşkın on “aiding and abetting a terrorist organization” charges (15 May 2019).
