Nurettin Fırat was a reporter and editor with Özgür Gündem newspaper, closed permanently by a Decree Law issued under the State of Emergency. He was taken under custody on December 20th, 2011 under the investigation known as the “KCK Press” case, and arrested on December 24th, 2011. He was imprisoned pending trial for two and a half years, and then released on May 12th, 2014. He faces 15 years, 6 months to 22 years in prison on charges of “leading and establishing an armed terrorist organization.