Neþe Düzel, a journalist with Taraf newspaper, was brought to court for an interview she made with M. Þerif Gençdal, spokesman of the Peace Group that came to Turkey from Iraq in October 2009.

26 refugees from the UN refugee camp in Mahmur and eight former members of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers'Party) from Qandil Mountain crossed the border to south-eastern Turkey upon imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan's call on 19 October 2009. They followed their own personal decisions as an attempt to push forward the jammed political process of finding a solution to the Kurdish question.

Journalist Düzel underlined that "we are on trial for what is deemed a crime in the world of the prosecutor's mentality".

A total of 37 cases against Taraf newspaper employees were heard at the Kadýköy (Istanbul) Court on 10 December, the date of Düzel's hearing. Düzel is indicted under Article 215 of the Turkish Criminal Court (TCK) on "praising crime and a criminal". Reporter Dicle Baþtürk is tried under Article 125TCK on "insult" and journalist Fýrat Alkaç stands accused of the "attempt to influence a fair trial" according to Article 288. All trials are being heard before the Kadýköy 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance.