Arrest of Journalists Ahmet Altan, Ilıcak to Continue

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Journalist and writer Ahmet Altan, his brother Prof. Dr. Mehmet Altan and journalist Nazlı Ilıcak appeared before the court yesterday (October 10) in the first hearing after the Supreme Court of Appeals overturned a verdict of "aggravated life sentence" for the three defendants.

The court ruled in an interim decision that the decision shall be abided by and arrests of Ahmet Altan and ılıcak shall continue. It removed the international travel ban imposed on Mehmet Altan.

Ahmet Altan has been in prison for 1,112 days and Ilıcak has been behind bars for 1,161 days. Mehmet Altan was released in June last year, after spending two years in prison.

Ahmet Altan attended the hearing via teleconference while other defendants were present in the courtroom.

'You have been trying to achieve the impossible'

Ahmet Altan began his statement of defense, saying, "You have been trying to achieve the impossible, to try ideas."

"The judiciary has limits and those limits let it only try deeds. When you draw limits for ideas and erase the limits of the judiciary when you do the exact opposite of what needs to be, access to justice becomes impossible."

The presiding judge warned Ahmet Altan to limit the scope of his statement with the Supreme Court of Appeals verdict.

"Because of an indictment that is utter nonsense is taken seriously, I spend 21 months in jail. Because four people ignored the Constitution, I was held in prison for 5,5 more months," Mehmet Altan said in his statement.

Nazlı Ilıcak, calling the court to abide by the Supreme Court of Appeals decision, said, "I am 75 years old. I request my immediate release."

Yakup Şimşek was removed from the courtroom after he said, "I refer you to God."

The three defendants were given an aggravated life sentence for "attempting to abolish the Grand National Assembly of Turkey or preventing it from performing its duty" and "attempting to overthrow the constitutional order in February 2018.

The Supreme Court of Appeals overturned the sentences in July. (HA/DB/VK)