19 journalists who have been sentenced to prison for “membership of an armed terrorist organization” and are still under arrest have been waiting for the appeal decision of the 16th Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court for more than 1 year.

23 of the 26 journalists who were tried by the Istanbul 25th High Criminal Court for their alleged involvement in the “FETÖ media structuring” were sentenced to prison for “membership of an armed terrorist organization” at the hearing held on 8 March 2018. The court decided to continue the detention of 19 journalists who were tried within the scope of the case with the sentence. The Supreme Court of Appeals Prosecutor’s Office, which submitted its notification on 10 December 2018 regarding the file sent to the Supreme Court for examination, submitted an opinion on the approval of the penalties and sent the file to the 16th Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court on 31 January 2019. However, the department has not yet made a decision regarding the file waiting for it for more than 1 year.

“Penalties were executed in advance”

Metehan Arısoy, who criticized the Supreme Court not making a decision about the file despite the time passed, said that the punishments of journalists were executed in advance before the decision on them was finalized. Lawyer Arısoy pointed out that the sentence of 6 years and 3 months imprisonment given to 8 journalists, including his client Abdullah Kılıç, is about to be completed. Stating that they have sent a petition to the Supreme Court for 3 months for the examination of the file as soon as possible, Arısoy said, “If the Supreme Court does not decide urgently, even if the execution of the journalists ends, a scandal unprecedented will be added to the unlawfulness experienced at the trial stage.”

The lawyer of Friday Ulus, Ömer Kavili, who was detained under the file, said, “They should be released according to the law. However, there is the law, but there is no justice.

“Umit Kardaş, the lawyer of Büşra Erdal, one of the journalists who are being detained, stated that the execution period of the people who were sentenced under the Anti-Terrorism Law was calculated not by two-thirds but by three-quarters. Kardaş said, “According to this calculation, the execution of those sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in prison will be over in the 56th month. Along with his client, other journalists have also spent much of their sentence. Considering this, the Supreme Court should explain its decision as soon as possible because the arrest has turned into execution. ”

What had happened?

Istanbul 25th High Criminal Court decided that, journalists Abdullah Kılıç, Bayram Kaya, Bünyamin Köseli, Cemal Azmi Kalyoncu, Cihan Acar, Habip Güler, Halil İbrahim Balta, Hanım Büşra Erdal, Hüseyin Aydın, Yakup Çetin and Gökçe Fırat Çulhaoğlu ; Ahmet Memiş, Ali Akkus, Muhammed Sait Kuloğlu, Mustafa Erkan Acar, Mutlu Çölgeçen, Oğuz Usluer, Seyid Kılıç, Ufuk Şanlı, Ünal Tanık, Yetkin Yıldız and Cuma Ulus were sentenced to 7 years and 6 months in prison. The court decided that the defendants, other than Bünyamin Köseli, Cihan Acar and Halil İbrahim Balta, should continue their arrest.

Kaynak: Cansu Pişkin- expressioninterrupted.com