Alpay, Erdoğan Released of One of Charges, Further Arrested on the Other
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Özgür Gündem daily’s Publishing Consultant Board members Necmiye Alpay and Aslı Erdoğan have been released of charges of "Disrupting unity of the state and integrity of the country", yet will futher be under arrest on charges of "being a member of an [illegal] organization].
The trial will be heard on December 29 in Ankara.
The court also ruled continuation of detention of daily's Chief Editor İnan Kızılkaya and Editor-in-Chief Zana Kaya, attorney Kılıç added.
Contradictory announcements on release and continuation of detention
Following the release decision’s taking place in media, some reports appeared in media as to continuation of the detention.
Speaking to bianet, attorney Sercan Korkmaz had said they don’t have a document as to the continuation of detention as of 5:30 p.m., the judge in charge orally stated that continuation of detention was ruled on charge of illegal organization membership.
Noting that they still don’t have a document concerning this ruling, attorney Korkmaz had remarked that there is a “legal complexity”.
Aslı Erdoğan was arrested on August 19 and Necmiye Alpay on August 31.
Indictment is ready
According to an indictment prepared by Prosecutor Umut Tepe, Alpay and Erdoğan are charged with “Disrupting unity of the state and integrity of the country”, “Establishing an organization with intent to commit crime”, and “terrorism propaganda”.
In the indictment, it was claimed that Erdoğan in her columns “shows terror organization members as civilians, criticizes operations launched by security forces against PKK, conveys the perception to public that security forces have massacred civilians”.
For Necmiye Alpay, the indictment alleged that “Necmiye Alpay willingly takes place in Publishing Consultant Board in a newspaper that is speaker of PKK/KCK terror organization, which is the proof that it supports organization’s ultimate goal and she acts on behalf of the organization”. (ÇT/TK)