Letter from arrested journalist Murat Ağırel

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Facing charges for revealing the identity of a National Intelligence Organization (MİT) official who was killed in Libya, Murat Ağırel, a columnist for daily Yeniçağ, has been arrested in Silivri Prison since March 8.

Ahead of his second hearing to be heard by the İstanbul 34th Heavy Penal Court tomorrow (September 9), Ağırel has sent a letter from prison.

Underlining that he has been arrested for 183 days, Murat Ağırel has asked, "Why?." He has said that he will come to the hearing tomorrow and cry out loud: "Journalism is not a crime." The letter of Murat Ağırel reads:

"I have been arrested for 183 days. I ask, "Why?" They say I might spoil the evidence, there are witness statements and I have flight risk. It is how they answer. Let alone pieces of evidence, there is not a single piece of evidence. How can I spoil something that does not exist.

"Let alone witness statements, there is not a single witness or statement about me. How can a witness that does not exist make a statement? Why would a person who willingly and knowingly went to the court himself not once, but twice want to flee?

"There are the answers to the question "Why" and there is what is real. They do not say it, but I know it... My articles on corruption and my last book "Sarmal" (Spiral)... So, journalism...

"In fact, a journalist is not someone who writes what others want, bootlicks the power, fears or sells his pen. Journalist is a person who stands with his people, whose strength solely lies in people, who gets worried with their worries, holds his land and flag dear, has internalized human rights, does not fear, does not sell his pen or does not bootlick the power.

"I will be, once again, in the Çağlayan Courthouse on September 9 for journalism, the honor of the pen, to defend the supremacy of law, not the laws of the supreme, I will be there for justice and conscience... And I will cry out loud: "Journalism is not a crime!"

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)