ÖZGÜR GÜNDEM MAIN TRIAL
Verdict of Release for Grant Holder of Newspaper Kemal Sancılı
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The eleventh hearing of the main trial of Özgür Gündem newspaper, which was closed by a Statutory Decree, was held at the İstanbul 23rd Heavy Penal Court in İstanbul Çağlayan Courthouse today (April 10).
Announcing its judgement on Kemal Sancılı, the Grant Holder of the newspaper who was arrested pending trial, the court board has ruled that Sancılı shall be released in this lawsuit, considering that there is a verdict of conviction previously given for him in another lawsuit.
The court board has also ruled that a writ shall be submitted to the İstanbul 13th Heavy Penal Court, requesting that the file of the case at this court where defendants Eren Keskin and Reyhan Çapan are tried together be separated and combined with the file of Özgür Gündem main trial heard by the İstanbul 23rd Heavy Penal Court.
Ruling that the file of the case shall also be sent to the Prosecutor's Office for the preparation of the opinion as to the accusations, the court board has also demanded that defendants and their attorneys prepare their statements of defense until the next hearing to be held on July 3, 2019.
Eren Keskin: I find this situation tragicomic
The eleventh hearing of the case held today was attended by arrested defendant Kemal Sancılı and Eren Keskin, who is tried without being arrested, as well as several attorneys.
Speaking first in the hearing, Sancılı stated, "I only request my release." As for Keskin, she said, "I don't think that I committed a crime by defending this newspaper's freedom of making news. I cannot accept that freedom of thoıght and expression can be oppressed to such an extent in this day and age. I find this situation tragicomic."
Indictment and defendantsAs part of the main trial of Özgür Gündem newspaper, which was closed as per a Statutory Decree during the State of Emergency, the following people have been put on trial: Filiz Koçali, Aslı Erdoğan, Necmiye Alpay, Ragıp Zarakolu, Editor-in-Chief Zana (Bilir) Kaya and Managing Editor İnan Kızılkaya, columnist Eren Keskin, Grant Holder Kemal Sancılı and editorial advisory board member Bilge Aykut. In the indictment, the defendants have been facing charges of "damaging the unity of the state and the integrity of the country", "establishing an organization with the aim of committing crimes" and "propagandizing for a terrorist organization." |
(TP/SD)