Prison sentences upheld in trial of Sözcü newspaper

* Photo: Sözcü

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In the trial of daily Sözcü journalists, columnists and executives, the 27th Penal Chamber of the İstanbul Regional Court of Justice, the upper court, has upheld the prison sentences given by the heavy penal court. The judgement will be taken to the Court of Cassation.

At the final hearing of the hearing on December 27, 2019, the İstanbul 37th Heavy Penal Court ruled that Emin Çölaşan and Necati Doğru should be sentenced to 3 years, 6 months, 15 days in prison; Mustafa Çetin and Metin Yılmaz to 3 years, 4 months in prison; Gökmen Ulu, Yücel Arı and Yonca Yücekaleli to 2 years, 1 month in prison on charge of "knowingly and willingly aiding the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ)," which is held responsible for the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016.

The attorneys of the newspaper appealed to the Court of Appeals on December 30 and requested that the rulings of conviction be overturned and rulings of acquittal be handed down for the journalists.

'Based on an expert report not written by an expert...'

İsmail Yavuz, an attorney for the newspaper, has spoken to Sözcü regarding the issue. Indicating that "the rejection of their appeal is against the law," Yavuz has briefly stated the following about the court's decision:

"Evidence was not sufficiently collected in the case file. Sentences were handed down by solely relying on an expert report that was not written by an expert. There is no other evidence in the file that can be brought against my clients. The witness statements are not accusing my clients, either.

"A judgement was handed down by appointing a person who was not an expert as such and by relying on a sham report prepared by that person. It is an unlawful situation that cannot be possibly accepted.

"It is nothing but an abdication of reason that the columnists and executives of Sözcü newspaper have been penalized for aiding the FETÖ.

"While the real FETÖ members are free outside and get on the screens, people from the Sözcü, who have always been an enemy of the FETÖ and have long struggled against it, are penalized over this, which has nothing to do with reason or rules of law."

'A judgement revering the local court decision'

Celal Ülgen, another attorney for daily Sözcü, has also underlined that the judgement handed down by the upper court "does not meet any legal needs or expectations." Noting that "the ruling in question has not gone beyond being an interlocutory judgement upholding and even revering the local court decision," Ülgen has said, "The only positive aspect of this ruling is that an appeal can be lodged at the Court of Cassation."

CLICK - 'Domestic and national' journalism by force of prison, censorship, seizure!

What happened?

An operation was conducted against Sözcü newspaper on May 19, 2016. A warrant was issued against Burak Akbay, Mediha Olgun, Bekir Gökmen Ulu and Yonca Yücekaleli as part of an investigation launched into the "Fethullahist Terrorist Organization/Parallel State Structure (FETÖ/PDY)", which was later held responsible for the coup attempt on July 15.

Held in custody for seven days, Ulu and Olgun were arrested and Yücekaleli was released. Olgun was released on probation on September 22 and Ulu was released on November 8.

The indictment filed against the workers and executives of the newspaper charged them with "leading an armed terrorist organization", "propagandizing for an armed terrorist organization" and "knowingly and willingly aiding the organization while not being included in its hierarchical structure."

Charged with "knowingly and willingly aiding a terrorist organization while not being included in its hierarchical structure", owner of Sözcü newspaper Burak Akbay, its İzmir reporter Gökmen Ulu, accounting personnel Yonca Yücekaleli, former managing director of the website Mediha Olgun, Editor-in-Chief Metin Yılmaz, columnists Emin Çölaşan and Necati Doğru, Editor-in-Chief of the website Mustafa Çetin and its Coordinator Yücel Arı had their final hearing at the 37th Heavy Penal Court on December 27, 2019.

Announcing its verdict, the court board ruled that Emin Çölaşan and Necati Doğru should be sentenced to 3 years, 6 months, 15 days; Mustafa Çetin and Metin Yılmaz to 3 years, 4 months; Yücel Arı, Gökmen Ulu and Yonca Yücekaleli to 2 years, 1 month in prison on the offense charged.

While Mediha Olgun was acquitted as "it was determined that the offense charged had not been committed by the defendant", the case file of Burak Akbay was separated from the others on the grounds that "his defense had been taken and the execution of his warrant should be awaited."

(EKN/SD)