Court Rejects Appeal Against Journalist Ahmet Altan's Arrest

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An appeal against the arrest of journalist and writer Ahmet Altan has been rejected.

Figen Çalıkuşu, an attorney of Altan, said in a tweet to Justice Minister Abdullah Gül that she did not even go to the courthouse to find out the decision as it could be heard from the pro-government media:

"The 28th Heavy Penal court rejected our appeal against the arrest of Ahmet Altan. This time, I didn't go to the courthouse to find out the decision. The notification wouldn't be made to its owner but some certain media addresses anyway. Indeed this happened."

Ahmet Altan was released from prison on November 4, after spending 1,138 days under arrest for "terrorism-related" charges.

İstanbul 27th Heavy Penal Court sentenced Altan 10 years and 6 months in prison for "knowingly aiding the illegal organization as a non-member" and ordered his release considering "the nature of the crime" and the time that he had already served in prison.

İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office appealed the decision. The court accepted the objection, issuing an arrest warrant for Altan on November 12. He was detained on the same day at his home and was sent to the Silivri Prison after he was arrested.

Attorney Çalıkuşu appealed his arrest at İstanbul 28th Heavy Penal Court. She said in her application that the verdict given by the 26th Heavy Penal Court is not an interim decision but a ruling and requested the removal of the arrest warrant.

"The file is under the examination of the Court of Cassation. The 27th Heavy Penal Court has no authority to issue an arrest order," the attorney stated. The court rejected the application. (EKN/VK)