Court Releases Journalist İdris Sayılğan

Photo: MLSA

Click to read the article in Turkish

Journalist İdris Sayılğan has been released after he appealed yesterday's (March 2) court verdict for his arrest.

Sayılğan, a reporter for the Mezopotamya Agency, was detained on February 29 in the northwestern Edirne province while he was reporting on the situation of refugees heading towards the border with Greece.

He, along with journalist Naci Kaya, was detained for "entering a prohibited zone."

In his statement, Sayılğan said he did not know the place they entered was a military zone.

A court yesterday (March 2) remanded him in custody but stated that it would reexamine the situation had Sayılğan presented the news reports he wrote as evidence.

After Sayılğan submitted his news reports, Edirne Regional Court of Justice 2nd Penal Chamber released him in today's hearing, the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) announced on Twitter.

Good news! Our client journalist İdris Sayılğan who was arrested in #Edirne for reporting on refugees crossing the border has been released upon MLSA Legal Unit's appeal by the Erzurum Appallate Court. pic.twitter.com/3bybgN4Mvt

— MLSA (@mlsaturkey) March 3, 2020

Previously sentenced to 8 years and 3 months in prison for "membership of a terrorist organization," Sayılğan was released in November 2019 after serving 1,137 days behind bars. (HA/VK)