TURKISH CHRISTIAN ACQUITTED OF SLANDER CHARGES Diyarbakir Church Construction Still Stalled by Barbara G. Baker ISTANBUL, June 27 (Compass) -- A Turkish Christian facing up to a year in jail for an alleged insult against Islam was acquitted yesterday by a criminal court in southeastern Turkey.
Diyarbakir's Fourth Criminal Court ordered all charges dropped against Kemal Timur, a member of a local Protestant Christian congregation arrested two years ago while legally distributing New Testaments in the city.
"We certainly did not expect my acquittal to come yesterday," Timur told Compass from Diyarbakir. His lawyer had advised him not to attend the hearing, he said, since it was expected that his accusers would fail to produce the documents ordered at the last hearing, forcing another delay in the case. "We had argued at the last hearing that it was unnecessary for the police witnesses who had been transferred to another post to be interviewed by the court," advocate Kadir Pekdemir said. "So the judge changed his mind and dispensed with their missing depositions, ordering the case dismissed."
"This is the Lord's work!" Timur declared happily. "It is a miracle for me and my family," he said.
Timur, 33, was accused of making a slanderous comment against the Muslim prophet Mohammed in May 1999, when he was detained for 24 hours for distributing free New Testaments on a public street. Turkey's laws on freedom of religious expression allow such distribution activities, although police officials routinely arrest individuals on the basis of an alleged complaint from some "anonymous citizen."
Timur was released without charge after being held overnight and beaten by local police, but six months later, the state prosecutor opened a slander case against him.
Yesterday's acquittal came in the seventh hearing on the case since his trial began on January 30, 2001.
Timur credited the prayers of Christians around the world for his acquittal. Beginning in March, he said, he has received hundreds of letters and cards in many languages from various countries, including Germany, England and the United States. "There have been sacks full of them," he exclaimed, "and every one told me they were praying for me!"
Inquiries regarding Timur's case had come to the Turkish government from a variety of human rights advocacy groups, including the International Sakharov Committee in Denmark and Sign of Hope in Germany. Four foreign observers were among a dozen individuals who attended the last hearing on the case in February.
Diyarbakir's Fourth Criminal Court ordered all charges dropped against Kemal Timur, a member of a local Protestant Christian congregation arrested two years ago while legally distributing New Testaments in the city.
"We certainly did not expect my acquittal to come yesterday," Timur told Compass from Diyarbakir. His lawyer had advised him not to attend the hearing, he said, since it was expected that his accusers would fail to produce the documents ordered at the last hearing, forcing another delay in the case. "We had argued at the last hearing that it was unnecessary for the police witnesses who had been transferred to another post to be interviewed by the court," advocate Kadir Pekdemir said. "So the judge changed his mind and dispensed with their missing depositions, ordering the case dismissed."
"This is the Lord's work!" Timur declared happily. "It is a miracle for me and my family," he said.
Timur, 33, was accused of making a slanderous comment against the Muslim prophet Mohammed in May 1999, when he was detained for 24 hours for distributing free New Testaments on a public street. Turkey's laws on freedom of religious expression allow such distribution activities, although police officials routinely arrest individuals on the basis of an alleged complaint from some "anonymous citizen."
Timur was released without charge after being held overnight and beaten by local police, but six months later, the state prosecutor opened a slander case against him.
Yesterday's acquittal came in the seventh hearing on the case since his trial began on January 30, 2001.
Timur credited the prayers of Christians around the world for his acquittal. Beginning in March, he said, he has received hundreds of letters and cards in many languages from various countries, including Germany, England and the United States. "There have been sacks full of them," he exclaimed, "and every one told me they were praying for me!"
Inquiries regarding Timur's case had come to the Turkish government from a variety of human rights advocacy groups, including the International Sakharov Committee in Denmark and Sign of Hope in Germany. Four foreign observers were among a dozen individuals who attended the last hearing on the case in February.
