Journalists Hülya Kılınç, Murat Ağırel and Barış Pehlivan released
* Photo: Onursal Adıgüzel / Twitter
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Sent to prison again yesterday (February 15), journalists Hülya Kılınç, Murat Ağırel and Barış Pehlivan have been released shortly afterwards.
Sentenced to prison in the trial over their news and articles regarding the funeral of a National Intelligence Organization (MİT) officer who died in Libya, journalists Barış Pehlivan and Hülya Kılınç and columnist Murat Ağırel were sent to prison again yesterday as their prison sentences were upheld by the 3rd Penal Chamber of the İstanbul Regional Court of Justice.
Lawyer Hüseyin Ersöz has announced that Murat Ağırel and Barış Pehlivan, who turned themselves in to the İstanbul Courthouse and were sent to the Silivri Prison at the outskirts of İstanbul, have been released. "And freedom has come. Right now! Journalists Barış Pehlivan and Murat Ağırel have been released," the lawyer has said on his social media account.
Bu da özgürlük pozumuz… @barispehlivan @muratagirel https://t.co/Wo0OdaSHmN pic.twitter.com/ckEhW6qC9l
— Hüseyin Ersöz (@ersozhuseyin) February 15, 2022
Main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) MP Alpay Antmen has also announced that Hülya Kılınç has been released. "Another good news: Journalist Hülya Kılınç has been released," he has said.
Bir güzel haber daha. Gazeteci Hülya Kılınç da serbest bırakıldı https://t.co/GwQk5lSdtj
— Av. Alpay ANTMEN (@avantmen33) February 15, 2022
What happened?
The-then Odatv news website News Director Barış Terkoğlu and reporter Hülya Kılınç were taken into custody from their homes in İstanbul and Manisa in early morning hours on March 4, 2020 Kılınç was taken to İstanbul for the investigation. Terkoğlu and Kılınç were arrested by the İstanbul 4th Penal Judgeship of Peace in the evening on the same day.
On March 5, the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) imposed an access block on Odatv.
Summoned to depose as part of the same investigation on March 5, Odatv Editor-in-Chief Barış Pehlivan was also arrested on March 6.
On the same day, daily Yeni Yaşam Editor-in-Chief Ferhat Çelik and Managing Editor Aydın Keser were referred to court for arrest as part of the same investigation. They were released on probation by the court.
Next day, on March 7, daily Yeniçağ columnist Murat Ağırel was also referred to court for his arrest after deposing at the prosecutor's office. Ağırel was released on probation by the court.
Upon the objection of the prosecutor's office, Ferhat Çelik, Aydın Keser and Murat Ağırel were arrested on March 8.
On April 24, an indictment was issued against arrested journalists Barış Terkoğlu, Hülya Kılınç, Ferhat Çelik, Aydın Keser and Murat Ağırel as well as journalist Erk Acarer, who is abroad, and E.E., a Press Unit member from the Republican People's Party (CHP) Akhisar Municipality.
At the first hearing of the case on June 24, Odatv Editor-in-Chief Barış Pehlivan, Odatv News Director Barış Terkoğlu, reporter Hülya Kılınç, Yeni Yaşam Editor-in-Chief Ferhat Çelik, Yeni Yaşam Managing Editor Aydın Keser, daily Yeniçağ columnist Murat Ağırel stood trial.
The İstanbul 34th Heavy Penal Court ruled that Barış Terkoğlu, Ferhat Çelik and Aydın Keser should be released while Barış Pehlivan, Hülya Kılınç and Murat Ağırel should remain behind bars.
The court announced its ruling on September 9, 2020. It has sentenced Aydın Keser, Ferhat Çelik and Murat Ağırel to 4 years, 8 months, 7 days and Barış Pehlivan and Hülya Kılınç to 3 years, 9 months in prison for violating the Law on National Intelligence Organization (MİT).
Aydın Keser, Barış Pehlivan, Barış Terkoğlu, Eren Ekinci, Hülya Kılınç, Ferhat Çelik ve Murat Ağırel have been acquitted of "disclosing state information" as per Article 329 of the Turkish Penal Code.
Terkoğlu and Ekinci have been acquitted of disclosing information and documents related to intelligence operations as per Article 27/3 of the MİT law. Judicial control measures on Barış Terkoğlu have been lifted.
Considering the time Barış Pehlivan, Hülya Kılınç and Murat Ağırel spent in prison when they were remanded in custody, the court has ruled for their release with an international travel ban. Also, the judicial control measures imposed on Aydın Keser and Ferhat Çelik have been lifted.
The 3rd Penal Chamber of the İstanbul Regional Court of Justice has upheld the verdict handed down by the local court at the final hearing. (TP/SD)