Indictment for Detained Journalists Şık and Şener
The indictment about journalists Ahmet Şık, Nedim Şener, Soner Yalçın and former Chief of Police Hanefi Avcı was now prepared. It includes a total of 14 defendants, twelve of whom are detained. They were arrested earlier this year in the course of a raid on Oda TV in the context of the Ergenkon investigation.
As reported by CNN Turk and ntvmsnbc.com on 26 August (Friday), the 134-page indictment prepared by Istanbul Public Prosecutor Cihan Kansız was approved by Deputy Chief Prosecutor Fikret Seçen and sent to the newly opened Istanbul 16th High Criminal Court.
The Oda TV indictment is the first indictment handled by the Istanbul 16th High Criminal Court located at the new Çağlayan (Istanbul) Courthouse. The court is going to announce its decisions on the acceptance or rejection of the indictment within two weeks.
"Aiding an illegal armed organization"
The indictment includes detained defendants writer Yalçın Küçük, Oda TV news portal executive Soner Yalçın, journalist Ahmet Şık, former Chief of the Eskişehir Police Hanefi Avcı, journalist Nedim Şener, Od TV news director Barış Terkoğlu, Oda TV General Publications Director Barış Pehlivan, Oda TV Publication Director Doğan Yurdakul, Oda TV writer Müyesser Uğur, journalists Coşkun Musluk and Sait Çakır and former National Intelligence Agnecy (MİT) member Kaşif Kozinoğlu as well as un-detained defendants Oda TV writers Ahmet Mümtaz İdil and İklim Ayfer Kaleli.
The defendants are charged with offences like "establishing and directing an armed terrorist organization, membership of an armed terrorist organization, aiding a terrorist organization, inciting the public to hatred and hostility, obtaining documents related to state security, obtaining confidential documents, violating the secrecy of private life, saving personal data and attempting to influence a fair trial".
15-year imprisonment
The indictment seeks prison terms of between 7.5 and 15 years for Şık and Şener on the grounds of "aiding an armed terrorist organization".
Yalçın Küçük stands accused of directing an illegal organization. It was decided to drop procedures regarding a further nine people included in the investigation. (AS/VK)