5th Hearing in Cumhuriyet Trial: Continuation of Pre-trial Detention

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The fifth hearing in Cumhuriyet Trial in which 20 defendants five of whom are in detention pending trial, was held today (December 25) before İstanbul 27th Assize Court in Çağlayan, İstanbul.

In today's hearing, the court heard Doğan Satmış and refused to hear defendant Ahmet Şık's statement of defence further and ordered him out of the courtroom.

The five defendants, namely Cumhuriyet Daily Editor-in-Chief Murat Sabuncu, Columnist Kadri Gürsel, President of the Executive Board Attorney Akın Atalay, Cumhuriyet daily accounting personnel Emre İper, reporter Ahmet Şık and Ahmet Kemal Aydoğdu being charged dut to his tweets will enter 2018 behind bars. will further remain in detention pending trial end enter 2018 behind bars.

Atalay and Sabuncu have been behind bars for 422 days, Şık for 361 days and İper for 264.

The next hearing will be held on March 9, 2018.

On the last hearing held on October 31, the chief judge of the trial Abdurrahman Orkun Dağ had ruled that all defendants remain in detention pending trial and a member judge of the board of judges Halit İçdemir added an annotation regarding the decision of continuation of the detentions of the defendants Ahmet Şık, Murat Sabuncu and Akın Atalay.

The court also ordered Mehmet Faraç, Leyla Tavşanoğlu, and Doğan Satmış who was included in the case file later, to be brought by force to the hearing.

Witness Doğan Satmış

Doğan Satmış, who was heard as a witness stated that he had been serving as deputy Editor-in-Chief for 16 years in Cumhuriyet daily, and noted:

"I did not call these friends, members of FETÖ ("Fethullahist Terrorist Organization"), on the contrary, they have fought against FETÖ for years.

Defendant Ahmet Şık

Şık, speaking at the defendant's stand, said:

"There is a media, that sweeps the truth under the rug and aids and abets the act of darkening our joint future with every hidden piece of truth. There is a silent majority, that is trapped in a spiral of speechlessness, concerned about losing its comfort or with fear, while everything is happening before its eyes".

Chief Judge Dağ interrupted Şık's statement of defence and said:

"If you go on like this, I will not allow it. There are running investigations. This has nothing to do with the Government. If you will remain within the scope of defence, continue. But this is no defence. It is not a political case.. I will not allow such a statement of defence.

The chief judge ordered Şık out of the courtroom.

Interim decision

Rendering the interim decision in the fifth hearing, the court ruled that the defendants remain in detention pending trial. The case file has been referred to 28th Assize Court. The court has restricted the number of defending attorneys to three for each defendant.

The next hearing will be held on March 9, 2018 at 10 a.m. in Silivri Prison Complex.

Observers of the hearing

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MPs Filiz Kerestecioğlu and Garo Paylan, Republican People's Party (CHP) MPs Sezgin Tanrıkulu and Mahmut Tanal as well as representatives from Reporters Without Borders, Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS), Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK) Press Union, Journalists' Association of Turkey (TGC) and British Consulate were in the courtroom to observe the hearing.

In addition, journalist İnan Kızılkaya who was arrested and later released in the trial of Özgür Gündem daily as well as Tunca Öğreten who was in pre-trial detention and later released pending trial in the social media trial in which six journalists and media workers are standing trial for reporting on the emails of Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Berat Albayrak being hacked and leaked by the hacktivist group, were among the observers of the trial.

(EA/DG/LN)