First Penalty Against Özgür Gündem’s Editors-in-Chief on Watch
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Of Özgür Gündem newspaper’s Editors-in-Chief on Watch, human rights defender advocate artist Şanar Yurdatapan and publisher İbrahim Aydın Bodur have been each sentenced to pay fine of 6,000 TL (1,500 euros) and to 1 year and 3 months in prison jail term.
That became the first penalty imposed on defendants in Özgür Gündem trials.
According to a report by Dihaber, third trial of the case was heard by İstanbul 22nd Heavy Penal Court. In addition to Yurdatapan and his lawyers, Reporters Without Borders’ Representative to Turkey Erol Önderoğlu and actress Melike Demirağ attended the hearing.
What had 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 36 have been turned into cases.
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.
Cases of Önderoğlu, Korur-Fincancı and Nesin have been combined.
Cases of Ragıp Duran and Ayşe Düzkan have been combined.
Non-prosecution verdict was issued for 11 of the 50 Editors-in-Chief on Watch.
Case against Deniz Türkali was dropped.
50 investigations
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.
36 cases
The 36 people who are facing prosecution are as follows:
Faruk Eren, Ertuğrul Mavioğlu, Murat Çelikkan, Beyza Üstün, Celal Başlangıç, İhsan Çaralan, Ayşe Batumlu, Celalettin Can, Derya Okatan, Nadire Mater, Erol Önderoğlu, Şebnem Korur Fincancı, Ahmet Nesin, Dicle Anter, Cengiz Baysoy, Öncü Akgül, Tuğrul Eryılmaz, Çilem Küçükkeleşi Fehim Işık, Yıldırım Türker, Necmiye Alpay, Ayşe Düzkan, Ragıp Duran, Jülide Kural, Kumru Başer, Hasan Cemal, Murat Uyurkulak, Said Sefa, Faruk Balıkçı, Şanar Yurdatapan, Can Dündar, İbrahim Aydın Bodur, Veysi Altay, Deniz Türkali, Nevin Erdemir and Hakkı Boltan.
11 non-prosecution
11 people for whom non-prosecution verdict was issued are as follows:
Eşber Yağmurdereli, Ahmet Abakay, Saruhan Oluç, Işın Eliçin, Mustafa Sönmez, Melda Onur, İhsan Eliaçık, Hasip Kaplan, Sabahat Tuncel, Kemal Can and Mehmet Güç. (EA/TK)