An Istanbul court on 3 April convicted nine people of “disseminating propaganda for a terrorist group” in a trial where 13 defendants, most of whom are journalists, were accused because they joined in a solidarity campaign to support the Özgür Gündem daily before it was closed down in 2016.
The 14th High Criminal Court of Istanbul convicted journalists Hüseyin Aykol, Faruk Eren, Ertuğrul Mavioğlu, Fehim Işık, Celal Başlangıç, Öncü Akgül, İhsan Çaralan, Celalettin Can and Dilşah Kocakaya of the “propaganda” charge and sentenced them to a total of 14 years and 3 months in prison. The court deferred the sentences of six defendants while Akyol, Can and Kocakaya’s sentences were not deferred.
A detailed report about the hearing, monitored by P24, can be found here.
On October 26, 13 journalists and writers appeared before the Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court for having participated in a campaign to show solidarity with the Özgür Gündem daily, which has since been shuttered.
None of the defendants attended the trial. The presiding judge requested testimony from Dilşah Kocakaya, who is arrested in Diyarbakır Prison as part of another trial, via the Diyarbakır High Criminal Court. The trial was adjourned until March 15, 2018.
