Warrant to Take Özgür Gündem Editor on Watch Nesin Forcibly To Testify

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The court in the hearing of Özgür Gündem Editors in Chief on Watch Erol Önderoğlu, Şebnem Korur-Fincancı and Ahmet Nesin ruled that Nesin be taken forcibly to give testimony and be released after his statement has been taken.

Standing trial on charge of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" over attending the Editorship in Chief on Watch Campaign for the closed Özgür Gündem daily, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Turkey representative and bianet rapporteur of the BİA Media Monitoring Reports Erol Önderoğlu, writer Ahmet Nesin and Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) President Prof. Dr. Şebnem Korur-Fincancı had their third hearing of their trials today (March 21).

The hearing was held before İstanbul 13th High Criminal Court in Çağlayan at 11 a.m.

Önderoğlu and Korur-Fincancı appeared before the judge of the hearing, which did not last long.

Passing a preceding judgement, the court has ruled that Ahmet Nesin be taken forcibly to testify and later be released after his statement has been taken.

The next hearing will be on June 8, 2017 at 11:45 a.m.

Further hearings of the Özgür Gündem trials are as follows:

28 March

* Jülide Kural facing 10,5 years in prison
* İlham Bakır (writer) facing 10,5 years in prison
* Necmiye Alpay whose case has beer referred to İstanbul 23rd High Criminal Court to be combined with the main trial of Özgür Gündem daily. If the court rejects the request, she will have her next hearing on March 28.

11 April

* Veysi Altay, İstanbul 22nd High Criminal Court
* Can Dündar, İstanbul 22nd High Criminal Court

April 18

* Hüseyin Tahmaz, 23th High Criminal Court

May 9

* Ayşe Düzkan,
* Hüseyin Akyol,
* Ragıp Duran
* M. Ali Çelebi

May 16

* Murat Çelikkan facing 7.5 years in prison
* Beyza Üstün facing 7.5 years in prison

July 4

* Ertuğrul Mavioğlu,
* Faruk Eren,
* Celal Başlangıç,
* Ömer Ağın (writer),
* İhsan Çaralan,
* Celalettin Can,
* Fehim Işık,
* Öncü Akgül

What happened?

Closed Özgür Gündem newspaper's Editor-in-Chief on Watch campaign was launched on May 3, 2016 and ended on August 7, 2016.
56 people joined the campaign.

50 of the attendees faced prosecution. Of the prosecuted, files of the 38 have been turned into cases.

50 investigations launched

50 people against whom lawsuit was filed are as follows:

Faruk Eren, Ertuğrul Mavioğlu, Ayşe Düzkan, Erol Önderoğlu, Celalettin Can, Mustafa Sönmez, Melda Onur, Fehim Işık, Celal Başlangıç, Eşber Yağmurdereli, Ragıp Duran, Nurcan Baysal, Ömer Ağın, Ahmet Abakay, İhsan Çaralan, Işın Eliçin, Murat Çelikkan, Uğur Karataş, Öncü Akgül, Ayşe Batumlu, Sebahat Tuncel, Saruhan Oluç, Nadire Mater, Beyza Üstün, Mehmet Güç, Tuğrul Eryılmaz, Faruk Balıkçı, Şeyhmus Diken, Necmiye Alpay, Jülide Kural, Yıldırım Türker, Ahmet Nesin, Kemal Can, Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Hasip Kaplan, Nevin Erdemir, Tuğrul Eryılmaz, Hakkı Boltan, Cengiz Baysoy, Kumru Başer, Veysi Altay, Hasan Hayri Şanlı, Hasan Cemal, Deniz Türkali, Dicle Anter, Çilem Küçükkeleş, Said Sefaoğlu, Aydın Engin, İhsan Eliaçık and İmam Canpolat.

38 cases

The 38 people who are facing prosecution are as follows:

A. Kumru Başer, Ahmet Nesin, Ayşe Batumlu, Ayşe Düzkan, Beyza Üstün, Can Dündar, Celal Başlangıç, Celalettin Can, Cengiz Baysoy, Çilem Küçükkkeleş, Derya Okatan, Dicle Anter, Erol Önderoğlu, Ertuğrul Mavioğlu, Faruk Balıkçı, Faruk Eren, Fehim Işık, Hüseyin Tahmaz, Hakkı Boltan, Hasan Cemal, Hasan Hayri Şanlı, İbrahim Bodur, İhsan Çaralan, Julide Kural, M. Ali Çelebi, Murat Çelikkan, Murat Uyurkulak, Nadire Mater, Necmiye Alpay, Nevin Erdemir, Öncü Akgül, Ragıp Duran, Said Sefa, Şanar Yurdatapan, Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Tuğrul Eryılmaz, Veysi Altay, Yıldırım Türker.

Cases brought against 3 writers

Legal action was taken against Ömer Ağın for an article published under the editorship of Celal Başlangıç, against İmam Canpolat for an article published under the editorship of Cengiz Baysoy and against İlham Bakır for an article published under the editorship of Jülide Kural.

Of the 36 Editors-in-Chief on Watch, Erol Önderoğlu, Ahmet Nesin and Şebnem Korur Fincancı were arrested in June 2016 and released 10 days after it.

13 editors in chief on watch and 1 writer convicted

Şanar Yurdatapan, İbrahim Bodur, Cengiz Baysoy, İmam Canpolat, Çilem Küçükkeleş, Nadire Mater, Yıldırım Türker, Hasan Cemal, Faruk Balıkçı, Dicle Anter, Derya Okatan, Kumru Başer, Ayşe Batumlu and Murat Uyurkulak have been convicted.

14.330 Euro, 157 months and 15 days in prison

As of March 9, the above mentioned 14 people have been sentenced to 14.330 Euro (56.000 TL) and 157 months and 15 days in prison in total.

Kızılkaya cases

Özgür Gündem Managing Editor İnan Kızılkaya is a suspect in all 38 cases. Kızılkaya's case is being combined with the main trial.

Özgür Gündem main trial

Özgür Gündem Consultant Board members, executives and writers Necmiye Alpay, Aslı Erdoğan, Ragıp Zarakolu, Filiz Koçali, Eren Keskin, Zana Kaya, İnan Kızılkaya, Kemal Sancılı and Bilge Oykut stand trial as a part of the main trial of Özgür Gündem daily. Kızılkaya and Sancıl are still arrested. (EA/DG)