Appeal against Arrest Dismissed for the Second Time

The Istanbul 14^th High Criminal Court on Duty rejected the appeal against the release of journalists Ahmet Şık and Nedim Şener and another seven people for the second time. The journalists were arrested more than one month ago in the context of the "Ergenekon" investigation, a probe into a clandestine ultra-nationalist organization charged with plotting to overthrow the government.

On Friday (8 April), the court board chaired by Judge Yakup Günay decided to reject the appeals against the arrests of Şık, Şener, writer Yalçın Küçük, Oda TV news portal Publication Director Doğan Yurdakul, journalists Coşkun Musluk and Sait Çakır, Oda TV writer Müyesser Uğur Yıldız, former National Intelligence Agency (MİT) member Kaşif Kozinoğlu and former Eskişehir Chief of Police Hanefi Avcı.

The dismissal was based on Article 104/1-2 of the Criminal Procedure Law (CMK) regarding a "motion of release by suspect or accused".

Şık and Şener were taken into police custody under allegations of "membership of the Ergenekon organization" in the course of a police operation in the early morning of 3 March. They were arrested and taken to the Metris Prison in Istanbul three days later. Both journalists were then transferred to the Silivri Prison on the western outskirts of Istanbul where they share a cell with writer Yurdakul. Their arrests were condemned by national as well as international organizations. (EÖ/VK)