Journalist Mehmet Aslan released

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Behind bars since January 9, 2021 on charge of "being a member of a terrorist organization" and on the grounds that he allegedly "reported news agitating/ provoking the masses", Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reporter Mehmet Aslan had his first hearing at the İstanbul 24th Heavy Penal Court yesterday (May 26). Aslan has been released.

The arrested journalist attended the hearing from the Antalya Type L Closed Prison via the Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBİS), while his attorneys were present in the courtroom in İstanbul.

'Is it a crime when I use it?'

Speaking at the hearing, Aslan referred to the indictment which cited his phone conversations as criminal evidence against him:

"These news were reported from the Marmara region. I am charged with 'organization membership' because I used the word 'exile' in my call. When a prisoner is sent to another prison, it is colloquially defined as exile. I do not understand how this makes me a 'member of the organization.'

"Another accusation is that I called Abdullah Öcalan the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) Leader. It is not a crime when another person says it, but is it a crime when we do so?"

Underlining that "the presentation of a journalist is not a crime", Aslan said: "I am considered a 'member of the organization' also because I talked to a TV channel and conveyed news. How is it possible? Journalists break news on TVs everyday. Will we consider it a crime? And the prosecutor's office says that I talked to an unknown TV channel. If it is an unknown TV channel, how is it possible to know that it is 'controlled by the organization'?

"There is no such thing as press freedom in Turkey anymore. If there was press freedom, journalists would not be in prison now.

"If a country wants to be free, it needs to be ensured that the journalists in that country can report news freely."

'Is it a crime to write about an ill prisoner?'

Reminding the court board that a news report published in Yeni Yaşam Newspaper is cited as criminal evidence against him, Aslan said:

"Because the MA was indicated as the news source, they hold me accountable. Let's say I did it... Is it a crime to make news about the condition of an ill prisoner? If the news of the agency had been taken into account and measures had been taken, the life of a deceased ill prisoner could have been saved. But as the news were not taken into consideration and measures were not taken, an ill prisoner lost his life. And the journalist who reported the news was arrested."

Concluding his remarks, Aslan said, "The reason why we are arrested is the government's practices in this country."

Prosecutor demanded his release

Afterwards, the prosecutor of the hearing pronounced the opinion as to the accusations and demanded that journalist Mehmet Aslan be released on probation. The court has ruled that Aslan shall be released with an international travel ban. The next hearing will be held on October 14.

CLICK - Journalist Mehmet Aslan arrested

CLICK - Mezopotamya Agency reporter Aslan detained

(HA/SD)