Verdict of Release for Former Daily Cumhuriyet Worker Emre İper

* Photo: Daily Cumhuriyet

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After the Judicial Reform Package was published on the Official Gazette and has entered into effect, the court has ruled for the release of Emre İper, the former financial affairs officer of daily Cumhuriyet and the last arrested defendant of the Cumhuriyet case.

Speaking to bianet, Tora Pekin, the lawyer of Emre İper, has announced that the verdict has been issued and İper will be relesed this evening.

CLICK - Emre İper to Serve Two More Months in Prison

Application was made yesterday

After İper was sentenced to 3 years, 1 month, 15 days in prison, the lawyers of Cumhuriyet newspaper appealed against the verdict at the court of appeal and raised a request for release at the İstanbul 27th Heavy Penal Court.

In their appeal, the lawyers referred to the amendment introduced by the Judicial Reform Package to the articles of the Anti-Terror Law pertaining to the offense of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization."

Based on the expression of "opinions that do not overstep the boundaries of giving news or that have the aim of criticism does not constitute a crime", the lawyers requested that the verdict of conviction be overturned.

After the Court of Cassation ruled that the execution of the prison sentences of former daily Cumhuriyet workers Musa Kart, Güray Öz, M. Kemal Güngör, Hakan Kara and Önder Çelik shall be suspended and they shall be released from prison, the journalists were released from Kandıra Prison in İzmit on September 12. As the verdict of İper was upheld, he remained behind bars. (HA/SD)