The new Turkey Gökhan Öner. Former reporter for the now shuttered Dicle news agency (DİHA
24-Jan-2019 13:49
26 July 2018:
Jailed journalist Gökhan Öner, a former reporter for the now shuttered Dicle news agency (DİHA), was released from pretrial detention on 26 July at the first hearing of his trial.
Öner, who was arrested on 28 April during a police raid on his home in Denizli, was jailed in early May on “terrorism propaganda” charges.
Öner gave his defense statement during the first hearing at the 2nd High Criminal Court of Denizli. He told the court that he worked as a reporter for DİHA for three years. Rejecting the accusations, Öner said none of his news reports had the aim of praising any organization.
Öner also said that DİHA had been founded in 2002 and that the agency had not faced any investigations before its closure by an emergency decree.
Adding that he was being prosecuted based on false allegations, Öner requested his release and his acquittal. His co-defendants Mehmet Diler, Erol Beler, Muhlis Kayar and Eyyüp Hansu also rejected the accusations and requested their acquittal.
The prosecutor demanded that Öner be remanded in custody due to the nature of the accusations.
In its interim ruling at the end of the hearing the court ruled for Öner’s release under judicial control measures pending the conclusion of the trial considering the time he had spent in pretrial detention and adjourned the case until 3 March 2019.
