German-Turkish journalist finally freed after a year in prison

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is relieved that Deniz Yücel, a journalist with German and Turkish dual nationality, was finally freed today but stresses that he should never have had to spend a year in prison and calls for the withdrawal of the judicial proceedings against him.

Ending 367 days of provisional detention without charge, Die Welt’s Istanbul correspondent walked out of Silivri high security prison today shortly after an Istanbul court accepted the charges finally presented by the prosecutor’s office and ordered his conditional release pending trial.

Although free, he is now facing the possibility of an 18-year jail sentence on a terrorist propaganda charge.

“We are delighted that Deniz Yücel has finally recovered the freedom that should never have been taken from him,” said Johann Bihr, the head of RSF’s Eastern Europe and Central Asia desk. “It is absolutely outrageous that he had to spend a year in prison before finding out what he is charged with. We call for the immediate withdrawal of these proceedings, which are entirely political in nature.

Get more information from RSF’s most recent press release on this subject (14.02.2018)