'Justice Watch' in Courthouse for Cumhuriyet Newspaper
Click to read the article in Turkish
Journalists and lawyers gathered today (February 21) at the İstanbul Courthouse after the Court of Appeals upheld the ruling on Cumhuriyet newspaper's trial.
The group staged a "Justice Watch" in front of the Themis statue at the courthouse. The Justice Watch gatherings for Cumhuriyet trial were done once a week between July 6, 2017 and December 28, 2018.
CLICK - Court of Appeals Upholds Verdict on Cumhuriyet Case, Journalists Say 'Goodbye'
"Editorial policies became dependent on prosecutors' world views"
Following the gathering, Tora Pekin, an attorney of the defendants, read a statement:
"This is time to remind what we said at the beginning of the trial of Cumhuriyet: The verdict of this trial means that freedom of the press in Turkey, which is already nonexistent, will end on paper too.
"According to this ruling, you can accuse and convict any publication on the ground of "aiding a terrorist organization," an article the contents of which are totally ambigious and that does not have qualities of a law.
"From now on, medya organizations' editorial policies are dependent on prosecutors' world views."
"FETÖ suspect conducts an investigation on aiding FETÖ'
"Let's take a look at how the system conserves this structure. Please remember who conducted the investigation of the Cumhuriyet trial.
"To a prosecutor who has been facing a life sentence in his trial at the Supreme Court of Appeals for FETÖ/PDY (Fethullahist Terrorist Organization / Parallel State Structure, which is held responsible for the coup attempt in July 2016). Journalists revealed this in November 2016. We applied to the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK) immediately. We said, 'Dismiss this prosecutor from our trial, a defendant of a terrorist organization's case cannot conduct an investigation about the same terrorist organization.
"HSK made a decision one year later, in November 2017. They rejected our request without any reason. A FETÖ suspect can conduct an investigation on aiding FETÖ!
"But the HSK hid this decision for one year as well. It reached us in November 2018. Why did it reject our application, why did it hid that? We leave it to people's discretion.
"We also have a right to appeal against this decision. I suppose the response may come in November 2019, maybe 2020."
Same judge will examine the appeal against verdict
"Let's continue to look at how the system conserves this structure. The part of the ruling which has not become definitive will be examined by the Supreme Court of Appeals 16th Penal Chamber.
"Who is the presiding judge of one of the two court boards in this chamber? The presiding judge of the 27th Heavy Penal Court. I suppose they found him very successful as he came to [the Supreme Court of Appeals] in a few years.
"Some convicts can appeal, some not"
"We are aware that you are trying to understand the ruling of the Court of Appeals since it was announced.
"You are asking, 'How can some convicts have the right to appeal and some does not have although they were charged with same allegations?'
"This is the system they conserve with their hearts and souls: Illogical, against anything we know about the law, the Constitution, the right to a fair trial.
"Where do we stand now? Those who were sentenced to less than 2 years in prison, if they were sentenced for the first time by the Court of Appeals, can appeal against sentences. Those who were given a prison sentence for more than five years can appeal against the verdict.
"Please take a look at the verdict. Our acquitted friends, yes, acquitted friends, can appeal against the verdict.
"Who cannot appeal? Those who were sentenced to prison for less than five years, the six of our friends."
MP Şık: They will have a place to rest
After attorney Pekin's speech, Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MP and a former reporter of the Cumhuriyet Ahmet Şık spoke:
"Of course it is not that I don't have anything to say but I am ashamed to talk.
"These rulings shouldn't make anyone hopeless. Look, this ruling is the future, the hope of this country.
"You know, there is a saying, 'They don't have a place to rest*.' I claim that every one of them will have a place to rest. Beginning from the person at the top, all of them will rest in this prison." (HA/VK)