The Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court insisted on their decision to reject the demand for the release of journalist and writer Mustafa Balbay. His lawyers had lodged an according appeal against the decision that was dismissed by the Istanbul court on Wednesday (29 June).
Balbay is an elected deputy of the Republican People's Party (CHP) for Izmir. The request for his release had previously been rejected by the Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court.
Thereupon, Balbay's lawyers filed an appeal to the Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court. The superior court dismissed the appeal unanimously.
The "strong and ongoing suspicion of guilt" was put forward as the reason for the decision. CHP Deputy Chair Gürsel Tekin commented, "You cannot expect to be surprised by a decision taken with the feeling of revenge".
Also on Wednesday, charges related to another trial against Balbay were dropped on the grounds of his immunity as a member of parliament. The journalist was facing imprisonment of up to three years because he disclosed the identity of a secret witness with the alias "the claw". (ŞA/VK)
