Prosecutor Demands Lifetime Jail Term for Imprisoned CHP MP Berberoğlu

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Prosecutor has demanded lifetime jail term in trial of imprisoned Republican People’s Party (CHP) MP Enis Berberoğlu, who has been tried on charge of “revealing confidential documents for political and militaristic espionage purpose”, at Regional Court of Justice 2nd Penal Chamber.The court held a closed trial.

Berberoğlu was sentenced to 25 years in prison due to his reports of MİT (National Intelligence Agency) Trucks. The verdict was reversed and the file was sent to the Regional Court of Justice.

Altay: We believe that justice will be served

Making a statement before the Regional Court of Justice following the decision to hold a closed trial, CHP Group Deputy Chair Engin Altay said that they respected the decision and left the courtroom, and added:

“We believe that justice will be served today. We hope that the court will render a verdict within the limits of justice and universal legal norms, and within the frame of current legislations”.

What happened?

Prosecution started as to the article published with the headline "Here are the weapons Erdoğan claim to not exist" on May 29 over "Procuring information as to state security", "Political and military espionage", "Declaring confidential information", "Propagandizing terror organization".

Chief Public Prosecutor Hadi Salihoğlu had declared the prosecution by press release.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan had personally filed a criminal complaint and requested Dündar to be sentenced to one aggravated life imprisonment, one life imprisonment and 42 years in prison for "targeting state interests by using images contrary to facts".

Erdoğan on a live broadcast on public channel TRT had said, "I guess the person who made this special news will heavily pay for it".
Dündar and Gül had been imprisoned as of November 26.

Upon their objection against arrest being rejected, they had made an appeal to the Constitutional Court over "violation of freedom of press and speech and the right to security".

Upon reporter of the Constitutional Court delivering the opinion that "freedom of press and expression, right to personal security have been violated, their imprisonment is unlawful" as to Gül and Dündar's application, Gül and Dündar's file had been referred to the Constitutional Court General Assembly.

CLICK - AYM REPORT: ARREST OF GÜL, DÜNDAR UNLAWFUL

Constitutional Court General Assembly has ruled journalists Can Dündar and Erdem Gül imprisoned as of November 26 over MİT truck report subjected to violation of right.

CLICK - CONSTITUTIONAL COURT RULES JOURNALIST CAN DÜNDAR, ERDEM GÜL EXPOSED TO VIOLATION OF RIGHT
On February 26, 2016, 14th Heavy Penal Court has ruled release of Can Dündar and Erdem Gül following the "violation of rights" verdict by the Constitutional Court.

CLICK - COURT RULES RELEASE OF CAN DÜNDAR, ERDEM GÜL

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has commentated on the Constitutional Court's ruling to release the journalists Gül and Dündar as "I don't obey the court decision. I don't respect it either".

CLICK - ERDOGAN ON RELEASE OF GÜL AND DÜNDAR: I DON'T OBEY OR RESPECT THE COURT RULING

On March 25, the Court has decided to hold the hearings without audience further on.

On May 3, a prison sentence of 25 years was demanded for Can Dündar and up to 10 years in prison for Erdem Gül.

The case was over on May 16. The journalists were sentenced to 10 years and 10 days in prison for "disclosing confidential information of the state". Acquitted of coup accusations, Gül and Dündar are still on trial on charges of "knowingly and willingly helping an armed organization as a non-member". 

İstanbul Regional Court of Justice 2nd Penal Chamber reversed the local court’s decision and sent the file to İstanbul 14th Heavy Penal Court. Reviewing the reversed decision, İstanbul Regional Court of Justice Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office annotated the decision.

İstnabul 14th Heavy Penal Court reversed the decision of 25 years of imprisonment and returned the file.

About Enis Berberoğlu

Born on April 1, 1956 in İstanbul, Kadri Enis Berberoğlu is a politician and journalist from the Republican People's Party (CHP), who has served as the Member of Parliament for İstanbul's second electoral district since 2015. Since the 18th CHP Extraordinary Convention of 2014, he has been the Deputy Leader of the party responsible for media relations and communications.

He graduated from Boğaziçi University and obtained a masters degree in the field of econometrics. He has stated that he originates from a socialist family, thereby making him a legacy social democrat.

Berberoğlu began his journalism career in 1981 at the Dünya newspaper. He later went on to become the economics manager at CNN Türk and served as an editor at Hürriyet and Radikal. On 29 December 2009, he became the General Director of Publications at Hürriyet, resigning on 10 August 2014 due to growing political pressures on the newspaper. In October 2014, he became a writer at the Sözcü newspaper.

At the 18th CHP Extraordinary Convention held on 6 September 2014, Berberoğlu was elected to the Party Council of the CHP. On 14 September, he was appointed as the Deputy Leader of the CHP responsible for media relations and communications by party leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. He was elected as a Member of Parliament for İstanbul's second electoral district at the June 2015 general election.

In May 2016 his immunity as member of the parliament was lifted in order to allow for judiciary prosecution and on 14th June 2017 he was condemned by an Istanbul tribunal to 25 years in prison for having divulged in 2014 pictures of the Turkish secret service which seemed to show delivery of weapons. (EA/TK)