Court rejects objection to three journalists’ arrest

* Photo: Hikmet Adal / bianet

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Arrested for "having disclosed the identity of a National Intelligence Organization (MİT) officer who was killed in Libya," journalists Barış Pehlivan and Hülya Kılınç from Odatv and Yeniçağ columnist Murat Ağırel will remain behind bars as the court has rejected the objection to their arrest.

As reported by Can Özçelik from daily Sözcü, the İstanbul Heavy Penal Court has rejected the objection by a majority of votes as the Presiding Judge expressed a dissenting opinion in favor of their release.

'I do not agree with the majority opinion'

In his dissenting opinion, the judge has underlined that the aim to be expected from arrest can as well be achieved by judicial control measures.

The judge has said, "...considering the quality and nature of the offenses charged, the current state of evidence, the possibility that the offense charged could change in favor of defendants, the time that they have already served in prison, that the arrest is a precaution and the possibility to fulfill the aim expected from arrest with judicial control measures, I do not agree with the majority opinion that their arrest shall continue."

What happened?

Odatv news website News Director Barış Terkoğlu and reporter Hülya Kılınç were detained from their homes in İstanbul and Manisa in early morning hours on March 4. Kılınç was taken to İstanbul for the investigation.

Terkoğlu and Kılınç were arrested by the İstanbul 4th Penal Judgeship of Peace in the evening on the same day.

On March 5, the Information and Communication Technologies Authority (BTK) imposed an access block on Odatv.

Summoned to depose as part of the same investigation on March 5, Odatv Editor-in-Chief Barış Pehlivan was also arrested on March 6.

On the same day, daily Yeni Yaşam Editor-in-Chief Ferhat Çelik and Managing Editor Aydın Keser were referred to court for arrest as part of the same investigation. They were released on probation by the court.

Next day, on March 7, daily Yeniçağ columnist Murat Ağırel was also referred to court for his arrest after deposing at the prosecutor's office. He was released on probation by the court.

Upon the objection of the prosecutor's office, Ferhat Çelik, Aydın Keser and Murat Ağırel were arrested on March 8.

On April 24, an indictment was issued against arrested journalists Barış Terkoğlu, Hülya Kılınç, Ferhat Çelik, Aydın Keser and Murat Ağırel as well as journalist Erk Acarer, who is abroad, and E.E., a Press Unit member from the Republican People's Party (CHP) Akhisar Municipality.

In the first hearing of the case four months later on June 24, Odatv Editor-in-Chief Barış Pehlivan, Odatv News Director Barış Terkoğlu, reporter Hülya Kılınç, Yeni Yaşam Editor-in-Chief Ferhat Çelik, Yeni Yaşam Managing Editor Aydın Keser, daily Yeniçağ columnist Murat Ağırel stood trial.

The İstanbul 34th Heavy Penal Court has ruled that Barış Terkoğlu, Ferhat Çelik and Aydın Keser shall be released while Barış Pehlivan, Hülya Kılınç and Murat Ağırel shall remain behind bars. (HA/SD)