Constitutional Court: Journalist İdris Sayılğan's Arrest Did Not Cause a Rights Violation

Photo: MLSA

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The Constitutional Court has ruled that an individual application by İdris Sayılğan, a journalist who had been released by a court of appeal after spending 1,137 days behind bars, was without merit.

In his application, Sayılğan alleged that his right to personal freedom and security and right to a fair trial was violated.

The top court examined the application on May 5 and ruled that it was unfounded, the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) reported.

Veysel Ok, the attorney of Sayılğan, stated that they had also applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and that they expected the process there to be accelerated after the Constitutional Court decision.

What happened?

Closed Dicle News Agency (DİHA) reporter Sayılğan was arrested and sent to Trabzon Prison on October 24, 2016 on charges of "membership of a terrorist organization" and "terror propaganda." On January 25, 2019, Sayılğan was sentenced to 8 years and 3 months in prison by the Muş 2nd Heavy Penal Court. The only pieces of evidence the indictment lists are Sayılğan's news stories and his correspondence with his news sources.

ECtHR reached a judgment for journalists Şahin Alpay and Mehmet Altan's applications on March 20, 2018, ruling that Turkey had violated their rights. Since the coup attempt on July 15, these Alpay and Altan have been the only journalists from Turkey whose applications the Court ruled a decision about. (HA/VK)