Photojournalist Not Able to Attend Hearing Because 'Video Conference Room Crowded'

Click to read the article in Turkish

İsmail Cengiz Mumcu, a photojournalist arrested in the Burhaniye Closed Type T Prison in Balıkesir province, has written a letter to bianet, telling that he was not able to attend the second hearing of his case "because the Audio and Video Information System (SEGBİS) room was crowded."

Mumcu is an employee of the Photography and Cinema Laborers (FOSEM) group which is affiliated to the İdil Cultural Center and a photojournalist for the GNS Press.

In a letter dated January 11, 2019, Mumcu said, "I have been arrested since October 4, 2017, for 464 days because of the anonymous witness' one-line testimony which says 'I am an employee of FOSEM, I live in Ankara, I do photography.'"

"I waited all day long, nobody came"

"On January 10, with Working Journalist's Day celebrated, the second hearing of my trial was held. But I could not attend the hearing.

"The court ruled on October 28, 2018 that we, the defendants, shall attend the hearing on January 10, 2019 via SEGBİS.

"On the day of the hearing, a guardian came in the morning and said 'Get ready, you have a hearing at 10.00 a.m.' I waited all day long but nobody came. I could not attend the hearing, which I should attend in person, via SEGBİS either. My right of defense was usurped."

"Like a theatre play without the leading actor"

"The hearing was held without my presence. Like a theatre play without the leading actor.

"I do not have any information about what happened in the hearing. I do not know if the witnesses came to the hearing, what they said about me, and above all, I do not know when the next hearing will be held."

Mumcu said that when he asked the guardian why he did not attend the case via SEGBİS, the guardian replied, "SEGBİS room was very crowded. The court clerk wanted us to get you ready but we could not get you ready because of the crowd."

"I could not say at the court, I write here"

Mumcu told the defense that he was not able to raise at the court:
"I write what I could not say at the court: Doing journalism, shooting photographs is not a crime. I do interviews with the people in the prison, I write article series."

Mumcu ended his letter celebrating January 10 The Working Journalist's Day.

According to the BİA Media Watch Report, 123 journalists were behind bars in October, November and December 2018.

CLICK - No Freedom in Sight for News, No End to Court-Prison for Journalists

In this period, 36 journalists became suspects or defendants of "insulting Erdoğan" (Recep Tayyip, President and Justice and Development Party Chair).

233 journalists and media representatives are facing 10 aggravated life sentences, one life sentence, 2,552 years and 10 months in prison and 4 million TRY (~750 thousand USD) compensation. (AS/VK)