Elif Akkuş, a 25-year war correspondentof the public broadcaster TRT, who had an arrest warrant issued against her, gave her statement while receiving treatment at a hospital, but the prosecutor unlawfully ordered that she will futher be taken from the hospital to the courthouse today accompanied by police officers informed her lawyer.
In the statement made by lawyer Hüseyin Ersöz on X (Twitter) last night (October 19), it was mentioned that after giving her statement, the prosecutor revoked the arrest warrant. However, it was also stated that Akkuş would be taken to the courthouse under police custody.
Ersöz also shared a photo of Akkuş in the hospital.
Arbitrary action by the prosecutor
Lawyer Ersöz's statement from last night was as follows:
"TRT News Correspondent Elif Akkuş was at Ankara Medicana Hospital due to her health condition. Despite her high blood pressure values, she was questioned today by the police in her hospital room, and released from custody by the Prosecutor.
Following a meeting that was reported to have taken place between the Prosecutor's Office and the Hospital Administration in the evening, a sudden decision was made to discharge Elif Akkuş from the hospital. The Hospital Administration informed the police that Elif Akkuş would be taken to the courthouse under police custody.
A person whose custody procedures have been completed, who has a stent placed in her brain, and faces the risk of embolism, will be escorted by the police to the courthouse with blood pressure values of 18/7! Let's see what else we will witness in this 'legal' system."
Informing that his client has now been discharged from the hospital, lawyer Ersöz provided the following information today:
"Ankara Medicana Hospital had previously conveyed the opinion that it was not appropriate to transfer Elif Akkuş to the courthouse just a few hours ago, but they have now changed their stance and informed the Ankara Public Security that they will discharge Elif Akkuş, first last night and then this morning. Despite there being no detention or arrest warrant, a security guard and police were sent to stand guard at her hospital room door.
Last night, to facilitate her discharge this morning, Elif Akkuş was administered an excessive amount of sedatives, blood pressure-lowering, and pain-relieving medications.
Journalist Elif Akkuş has now been discharged from Ankara Medicana Hospital. Since there is no valid arrest warrant, we came to the office of Lawyer Nazlı Çubuklu Saygılı.
Police officers from the Ankara Public Security Branch, acting in accordance with a written notice they received, want to 'accompany' Elif Akkuş to the courthouse. At this point, even though we don't have a complaint against the police who are caught between the prosecutor's unlawful notice and the regulations, we will continue to emphasize that the prosecutor's 'actual arrest order' is unlawful at every stage.
Together with Elif Akkuş, who voluntarily surrendered when she learned about the arrest warrant against her, we will soon go to the Ankara Courthouse to provide a statement to the Prosecutor, in line with her request and will.
Being subject to such unlawful procedures and instructions that the investigating prosecutor has carried out up to this point, we are sure that we will be referred for detention. However, we still believe that there are judges at the Ankara Courthouse who prioritize professional integrity and legal ethics."
(AS/PE)
