Turkey frees journalist Deniz Yucel pending trial for ‘spreading terrorist propaganda’
Turkish news agency Anadolu said a court has accepted an indictment seeking up to 18 years
German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yucel, who was detained in Turkey a year ago, has been indicted for alleged security offences but a court has decided to release him pending trial, state-run Turkish news agency Anadolu said on Friday.
Die Welt, the German newspaper for which he works, had reported earlier in the day that Yucel had been freed, citing his lawyer. A German government spokeswoman confirmed the news, which could ease some of the tensions between the Nato allies.
“I believe that this will lead to [Yucel] being able to leave the country,” German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel told reporters in Munich. “I hope this will happen very soon.”
Anadolu said a Turkish court has accepted an indictment seeking up to 18 years in jail for Yucel on charges of “spreading terrorist propaganda” and “stirring enmity”, and opted to free him ahead of trial.
Yucel was jailed in February last year on suspicion of spreading propaganda in support of a terrorist organisation and inciting violence. He denies the accusations.