Police arrested sibling journalists Musa and Bahar Kurt as they waited outside the Forensic Evidence Office in Istanbul for the transfer of the body of a suicide bomber to the family of the deceased. The bomber, a member of the outlawed Devrimci Halk Kurtuluş Partisi-Cephesi, or DHKP-C, had attacked a police station on September 11, news reports said. One police officer died and several civilians were injured in the blast.
Musa Kurt, a reporter for the leftist monthly magazine Yürüyüş (March), and Bahar KIurt, the owner of culture and arts magazine Tavır (Attitude), were charged with “taking photographs of the police” and “participating in events the terrorist organization called for.” Yürüyüş and Tavır take editorial positions in support of the DHKP-C.
Musa was being held at Tekirdağ Prison in Tekirdağ, and Bahar at the Bakırköy Prison in Istanbul. Their lawyer, Evrim Deniz Karataş alleged that the two had been abused in custody. He said his clients were at the scene to report and photograph the transfer of the body as a news event.