No Release in Cumhuriyet Trial

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Fourth hearing of Cumhuriyet trial in which 20 defendants five of whom are jailed pending trial have been tried was held at İstanbul 27th Heavy Penal Court today (October 31).

The court declared its interim decision.

Chief Judge Abdurrahman Orkun Dağ declared that they ruled the continuation of the arrest of all defendants.

Judge Halit İçdemir annotated the ruling on Ahmet Şık, Murat Sabuncu and Akın Atalay.

The court also ordered Mehmet Faraç, Leyla Tavşanoğlu, and Doğan Satmış who was included in the case file today to be brought by force.

The next hearing will be held on December 25-26.

What happened?

On October 31, 2016, İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office began investigating Cumhuriyet Foundation executives on charges of "Making publications that justify July 15 coup attempt" and "committing crime for PKK/KCK and FETÖ/PDY as non members".

On the same day, Cumhuriyet Daily Editor-in-Chief Murat Sabuncu, columnist Hakan Kara, columnist Hikmet Çetinkaya, columnist Kadri Gürsel, President of the Executive Board Attorney Akın Atalay, Cumhuriyet daily ombudsperson Güray Öz, former Editor-in-Chief and columnist Aydın Engin, cartoonist Musa Kart, Cumhuriyet Foundation Management Board member Attorney Bülent Utku, Cumhuriyet Foundation Management Board member Attorney Mustafa Kemal Güngör, Cumhuriyet Foundation Management Board member Önder Çelik, former Accounting Manager Bülent Yener, Editor-in-Chief of the Cumhuriyet Book Supplement Turhan Günay and Accounting Manager Günseli Özaltay were taken into custody in a police operation. 

On December 31, 2016 correspondent Ahmet Şık and on April 19, 2017 accounting department employee Emre İper were arrested. 

On April 4, 2017, after 156 days in pre-detention following the first wave of arrests on November 5, 2016, the bill of indictment was prepared. 

Two hearings have been held so far. At the end of the first hearing, Güray Öz, Musa Kart, Bülent Utku, Hakan Kara, Önder Çelik, Mustafa Kemal Güngör and Turhan Günay were released and Murat Sabuncu, Akın Atalay, Kadri Gürsel, Ahmet Şık and Ahmet Kemal Aydoğdu remained further in jail. At the end of the second hearing, the court denied the release of the six defendants in detention on remand .  

The investigation was initially launched by prosecutor Murat İnam who was at the same time a suspect in the trial of "FETÖ (Fethullahist Terrorist Organization)". 

(EA/TK)