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We have spoken to Prof. Dr. Yaman Akdeniz about the situation of his client Atilla Taş, who was previously sent to Silivri Prison on charge of "aiding the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) as a non-member" and has recently been transferred to Kocaeli Prison.
Akdeniz has emphasized that they have submitted a request for release on probation for singer and journalist Atilla Taş, who was transferred from Silivri Closed Prison to Silivri Open Prison on January 23, 2019.
Reiterating that Atilla Taş, who was sentenced to 3 years, 1 month and 15 days in prison, has been behind bars for 1 year, 1 month and 21 days, Prof. Dr. Akdeniz has underlined that though Taş is supposed to stay in prison until January 2020, he can still be released from prison on probation considering that he has less than a year to serve in prison.
Being arrested for the first time on September 3, 2016 and released on October 24, 2017 after staying prison for 1 year, 1 month and 21 days, Atilla Taş was arrested again on November 9, 2018 after the court of appeal upheld his prison sentence.
"Our initiatives in Silivri have come to naught"
Speaking about the recent transfer of Atilla Taş from Silivri Prison to Kocaeli Prison, Yaman Akdeniz has stated that "their all initiatives in Silivri concerning the release of Taş on probation have come to naught" and added:
"Because Silivri is now unauthorized. Last Wednesday, we raised an objection against the verdict of arrest given by the Silivri Heavy Penal Court.
"Before this objection was concluded, they hurriedly transferred Atilla Taş to Kocaeli yesterday (February 4). No courts in Silivri are authorized now. Our objection has come to naught as well.
"We will tell the same things in Kocaeli"
"Just as it was the case in Silivri, the judgeship of execution in Kocaeli should consider the case of Taş. We will have to go there and tell the same things to them as well.
"We will tell them that he is not a convict of terrorism, that he cannot be deemed a convict or terrorism. Then, if they give a negative ruling, we will lodge an objection at the Kocaeli Heavy Penal Court. And if it remains inconclusive as well, we will appeal to the Constitutional Court.
"Our request is the following: Since Atilla Taş has not been convicted of terrorism and the remaining sentence that he has to serve in prison is less than a year now, he should be released on probation.
"Yes, he was given a prison sentence for 'aiding a terrorist organization as a non-member.' However, it is not legally considered a terror crime.
"We cannot receive any news from him yet"
"I think that he has been sent to Kocaeli upon instruction.
"We cannot receive any news from him yet. He could not call me, either. His wife went to send him money but she could not send the money since she could not see him. When he has no money, he cannot call anyone, either. Otherwise, he could have phoned me as open prisons are relatively freer."
What happened?On August 30, 2016, İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issued a detention warrant for 35 people, including several academics and journalists, as part of the investigation against "FETÖ" following the coup attempt on July 15. 27 detainees were later arrested. The state-run Anadolu Agency reported the detention order for journalists and writers as "Operation against the media organization of FETÖ". A lawsuit was filed against the journalists for "being members of an armed terrorist organization" and "attempting to stage a coup" at the İstanbul 25th Heavy Penal Court. The lawsuit was concluded on October 24, 2017 and as per the ruling of the court, 23 defendants were given prison sentences of 6 years and 3 months to 7 years and 6 months on charge of "being members of an armed terrorist organization." While Atilla Taş was sentenced to 3 years, 1 months and 15 days in prison for "aiding an armed terrorist organization", Murat Aksoy was sentenced to 2 years and 1 month in prison. The ones sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in prison: Ahmet Memiş, Ali Akkuş, Muhammet Sait Kuloğlu, Mutlu Çölgeçen, Seyid Kılıç, Ünal Tanık, Erkan Acar, Oğuz Usluer, Davut Aydın, Ufuk Şanlı, Yetkin Yıldız, Cuma Ulus. The ones sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in prison: Cihan Acar, Bünyamin Köseli, İbrahim Balta, Bayram Kaya, Cemal Azmi Kalyoncu, Habip Güler, Hanım Büşra Erdal, Yakup Çetin, Hüseyin Aydın, Abdullah Kılıç ve Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu. |
(EKN/SD)
* Photograph: Yaman Akdeniz / Facebook
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