Journalist Sayılğan Released After Serving 1,137 Days in Prison

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Erzurum Regional Court of Justice 2nd Penal Chamber (court of appeal) has ruled for the release of journalist İsmail Sayılğan.

Sayılğan was released from Trabzon Type-E Closed prison after the verdict was announced. He had been in prison since October 26, 2016, for 1,137 days.

Sayılğan was a reporter for the Dicle News Agency (DİHA), which was shut down upon a statutory decree in 2016. He was sentenced to 8 years and 3 months in prison for "membership of an illegal organization" and "propagandizing for an illegal organization" by the Muş 2nd Heavy Penal Court. Lawyers of Sayılğan appealed the decision at the upper court.

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) announced on December 11, 2018 that it will examine, as a priority, the application of Sayılğan.

It requested Turkey's statement of defense in June, asking whether the proceedings regarding the journalist's application to the Constitutional Court was in compliance with Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), which protects the rights to liberty and security.

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/SD)