8 Released in KCK Media, 37 Released in KCK Main Case

While 8 were released in KCK Media Case, 37 were released in KCK Main Case. However, the court ruled not to release Ayşe Güney in KCK main case and Mikail Barut in KCK media case as it would leave no jailed defendants in both cases. 

On December 20, 2011, police held an operation against the Kurdish press, detaining 46 media workers for charges related to Anti-Terror Act Article 10. Istanbul 15^th High Criminal Court, a special duty court, ordered the defendants to stand trial. 

While 15 journalists have been jailed within the two-year-long trial process, a ruling issued last night ordered the release of 8. 

“Not all defendants have been released. I learned from those who were released,” defense attorney Ramazan Demir wrote on twitter. 

Following the removal of Special-Duty Courts (ÖYM), the new court ordered the released of the following defendants pending a trial. 

KCK media case: Semiha Alankuş, Nevin Erdemir, Kenan Kırkaya, Mazlum Özdemir, Mehmet Emin Yıldırım, Hüseyin Deniz, Haydar Tekin, Şehmus Fidan.

Deniz Zarakolu released as well 

The list of all defendants released within KCK İstanbul case read as follows:

Şehmus Aydın, Vehap Nas, Fatma Dikmen, Pınar Tarlak, Kemal Bilken, Arif Yılmaz, Ömer Gölge, Şanhaz Akdoğan, Üzeyir Akraba,  Erdal Avcı, Mehmet Selim Çelik, Sener Şahin, Gıyasettin Mordeniz, Salih Deli, Derya Arslan, Hikmet Duman, Sevim Er, Emine Caynak, Yusuf Çırık, Sabriye Orak, Şeyhmus Erol, Ali İpekli, Mehmet Kaymaz, Lokman Çelebi, Akgül Bozdağ, Deniz Zarakolu, Aydemir Anli, Hakim Sizgek, Rıdvan Balku, Ali Edepali, Talat Aydın, Mehmet Tayip Arslan, Mehmet Emin Öztürk, Abdülkadir Akdağ, Erman Ergin and Cahit Özmaya. (EA/BM)

* Click here to view the original article in Turkish.