Anonymous Witness Could Not Be Heard in Trial of 27 People Including Journalist Meşale Tolu

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Charged with "being members of a terrorist organization" and "propagandizing for a terrorist organization", 27 people including Etkin News Agency (ETHA) reporter and translator Meşale Tolu had their ninth hearing at the İstanbul 29th Heavy Penal Court yesterday (May 23).

While Meşale Tolu, who is currently abroad, and the defendants, whose requests for exemption from the hearings were granted, did not stand before the judge, their attorneys attended the hearing.

The hearing was also watched by Margit Stumpp, an MP of Germany's Greens Party and Heike Hansel, an MP of the Left Party.

In the previous hearing, it was ruled that the anonymous witness should be heard. However, the witness did not testify before the court as the notification could not be delivered to him/her due to a technical problem.

Presenting their statements of defense, four defendants requested that their international travel bans be lifted. In his opinion as to the accusations, the prosecutor demanded that the judicial control measures remain in effect.

Accordingly, announcing its interlocutory ruling, the court board has ruled for the continuation of judicial control measures. The anonymous witness will be heard in the hearings to come.

The next hearing will be held on October 11, 2019.

Her husband's passport confiscated

In a statement that she made on her social media account yesterday, journalist Meşale Tolu announced that the passport of her husband Suat Çorlu, who came from Germany to Turkey, has been confiscated at İstanbul Sabiha Gökçen Airport. Çorlu's passport has been seized upon the order of Ankara Directorate of Security, as Tolu further indicated.

Speaking to Deutsche Welle after the hearing, Suat Çorlu stated, "The whole case is based on the statements of an anonymous witness; however, the witness could not be heard despite our requests. What kind of a technical problem is there for four months?"

Claiming that it should also be questioned whether there is an anonymous witness, he argued that it is used as a pretext to prolong the trial process.

Stumpp: It will increase the pressure

Criticizing the short hearing, Greens Party MP MP Margit Stumpp also stated that the adjournment of the hearing to October will increase the psychological pressure on everyone.

What happened?

Citizen of Germany Meşale Tolu was taken into custody in a house raid conducted on April 30, 2017.

Referred to court on May 5, Tolu was arrested by İstanbul 9th Criminal Judgeship of Peace on charge of "being a member of an illegal organization". She was sent to the Bakırköy Women's Prison.

Tolu's husband Suat Çorlu was also arrested pending trial. The 3-year-old child of the couple stayed with them in prison by turns.

While Suat Çorlu was released on November 28, 2017, Meşale Tolu was released on December 18, 2017. (HA/SD)