Have You Heard Initiative: We Have Seen This Plot Before

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"Have You Heard" (Haberin Var Mı) initiative has launched a campaign for eight people, including seven journalists, who have been remanded in custody over news reports on an intelligence officer's death in Libya.

Launching the campaign under the slogan "We have seen this plot before" (#BuKumpasıDahaÖnceGörmüştük), the initiative said that İstanbul 34th Heavy Penal Court accepted the indictment against the eight people for violating the Law on the National Intelligence Organization (MİT).

"Among our friends who were arrested in this case, Barış Pehlivan and Barış were also targeted with similar plots nine years ago," it said.

"Figures close to the government had supported these plots just as they do today. The police, which showed up at people's doorsteps at the crack of the dawn after conspiracy investigations, were at the doorsteps of our friends today.

"Journalist Barış Pehlivan was beaten in prison. Evidence, which was said to be non-existent, revealed. They blatantly covered up the crime.

"Previously, the indictments used to be served by the media outlets close to the government before even the lawyers saw them, and that happened again. And again, arrests were turned into punishment.

"We have seen this plot before. With the #BuKumpasıGörmüştük tag, we call for solidarity with our friends who were sent to prison with plots just because of journalism."

What happened?

Odatv news website News Director Barış Terkoğlu and reporter Hülya Kılınç were detained from their homes in İstanbul and Manisa in early morning hours on March 4. Kılınç was taken to İstanbul for the investigation.

Terkoğlu and Kılınç were arrested by the İstanbul 4th Penal Judgeship of Peace in the evening on the same day.

On March 5, the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) imposed an access block on Odatv.

Summoned to depose as part of the same investigation on March 5, Odatv Editor-in-Chief Barış Pehlivan was also arrested on March 6.

On the same day, daily Yeni Yaşam Editor-in-Chief Ferhat Çelik and Managing Editor Aydın Keser were referred to court for arrest as part of the same investigation. They were released on probation by the court.

Next day, on March 7, daily Yeniçağ columnist Murat Ağırel was also referred to court for his arrest after deposing at the prosecutor's office. He was released on probation by the court.

Upon the objection of the prosecutor's office, Ferhat Çelik, Aydın Keser and Murat Ağırel were arrested on March 8.

On April 24, an indictment was issued against arrested journalists Barış Terkoğlu, Hülya Kılınç, Ferhat Çelik, Aydın Keser and Murat Ağırel as well as journalist Erk Acarer, who is abroad, and E.E., a Press Unit member from the Republican People's Party (CHP) Akhisar Municipality.

As announced by lawyer Celal Ülgen, it was later understood that the court ruled for the continuation of the pre-trial detention of the journalists in the absence of their attorneys.

(HA/VK)