‘I am not afraid, liars should be,’ detained Turkish journalist says

ISTANBUL

Turkish journalist and anchorwoman Sedef Kabaş has been released on probation after being detained for her tweet on Turkey’s now-closed graft probe. She has defended her stance, saying those who have to fear are “thieves, corrupted people and bribers.”

Kabaş was detained Dec. 30 following her tweet, in which she called on citizens to not forget the name of the judge who dropped the Dec. 17, 2013 corruption probe that involved high-profile, former Cabinet members.

The case is being examined by the prosecutor and Kabaş will testify on Jan. 5, reports said.

“Many people ask if I was sorry or afraid. Certainly not, not for a moment,” she said in an interview published on daily Cumhuriyet on Jan. 1, after being released.

“Liars should be afraid. Those who prefer listening to orders from above instead of their conscience should be afraid. Bribers and bribe receivers should be afraid. Robbers, corrupted people and those who kill people should be afraid. We will not be,” she said.

”I am sorry that our precious prosecutors, police and judges are losing time and energy in such cases, as there are other serious problems, corruption, bribery, gangs, mafia, murders, seizures, violence and irregularities in the country,” she said.

“Do not forget the name of the judge who decided not to pursue the proceedings in the Dec. 17 [2013] probe,” Kabaş had tweeted. She was referring to a massive graft probe which was officially dropped on Dec. 16 when the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office rejected an objection to its decision to not pursue proceedings in the case.

Kabaş’s computer, her son’s tablet and her mobile phone were seized by the police from her house.