Court to reexamine journalist Deniz Yücel's file
Photo: Die Welt
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The trial of Deniz Yücel, the former Turkey correspondent for Germany's Die Welt newspaper, continued today (June 24) at the 32nd Heavy Penal Court at İstanbul Courthouse.
Yücel was released from prison in February 2018 after spending one year behind bars. He is on trial for "inciting people into hatred and animosity" and "propagandizing for an illegal organization" and facing a prison sentence of from 4 years up to 18 years.
While Yücel did not attend today's hearing, his attorney Veysel Ok was present at the courtroom.
The prosecutor's office repeated its opinion as to the accusation which it submitted in the previous hearing on February 13 and requested a prison sentence of up to 15 years and 3 months.
Giving a statement on the prosecutor's opinion, attorney Ok requested his client's acquittal, citing the Constitutional Court's decision on his application on June 28, 2019.
The prosecutor's opinion was not a legal text, it did not comply with the principal of the bindingness of the Constitutional Court decisions, and the same allegations were included in the prosecutor's opinion without an additional investigation, said the attorney.
"Indictment is not rational and legal"
It was irrational to sentence the reporter "despite all the precedent-setting decisions, all the explanations by the defending party and our explanations of the translation mistakes," Ok further noted.
"We have explained that propaganda cannot be made by exercising freedom of speech and people cannot be incited to hatred and animosity. The legal basis of our claim is in Article 7/2 of the Law on the Fight Against Terrorism. The article is exactly as follows: 'Expression of thoughts that do not exceed the limits of reporting or have the purpose of criticism does not constitute a crime.'
"Charges and evidence are not legal and rational. There are a clear inconsistency and discrepancy between the democratic thoughts, efforts and achievements that prevail in my client's journalism with the charges of propagandizing for the terrorist organization and inciting the people to hatred and animosity."
Ok also recalled that the Constitutional Court said in its decision that the news reports that were presented as evidence could not be even considered "signs" of a crime.
The attorney requested his client's acquittal. The court ruled for the reexamination of the file and adjourned the hearing to July 16.
What happened?Kept in detention in İstanbul Security Directorate for 13 days, Die Welt newspaper reporter to Turkey Deniz Yücel was brought to İstanbul Justice Palace in Çağlayan on February 27 by İstanbul Organized Crimes Department units. As the part of the same operation, Diken news site editor Tunca Öğreten, Dicle News Diyarbakır Bureau Chief editor Ömer Çelik and BirGün daily newspaper Executive Official Mahir Kanaat were arrested on January 18, 2017. Ömer Çelik was released on October 24, Kanaat and Öğreten were released on December 6, 2017. Along with Öğreten, Çelik and Kanat, DİHA reporter Metin Yoksu, Yolculuk Newspaper Chief Editor Eray Sargın and ETHA Executive Official Derya Okatan who were detained on December 25, 2016, were released. Covering house raids that were conducted on December 25, pro-government Sabah daily newspaper reported that Deniz Yücel's name was included as part of the investigation. President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said: "This man [Deniz Yılmaz] is a terrorist, not journalists and unfortunately the German government lumps my ministers together with this terrorist. The problem lies here. "German Chancellor Angela Merkel told me 'We would be glad if you free him'. I told her he is not a journalist but a terrorist. Deniz Yücel hid in the German Consulate General. This man is a terrorist, not a journalist". Of the other arrestees, Çelik was released in the first and Tunca was released in the second hearing. Yücel was released on February 16 following 367 days in detention. |
(HA/VK)