Attorney of 2 Academics Presents Excuse, Hearings Adjourned

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Dr. Lecturer Onur Buğra Kolcu from Arel University and Lecturer Emrah Dönmez from Işık University, who have been charged with "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" for having signed the declaration entitled "We will not be a party to this crime" prepared by the Academics for Peace, had their second hearings today (April 11) at 32nd Heavy Penal Court.

The attorney of the academics, Meriç Eyüboğlu presented medical reports regarding health problems of her clients, stated that they could not prepare the statements of defence and requested additional time for the preparation of defence statements.

The Prosecutor's Office demanded that the court board accept the additional time request of the attorney. The court board accepted the excuse presented by Eyüboğlu and granted additional time.

The next hearings have been adjourned to July 6 at 11.30 and 11.50 a.m.

The hearings against signatory academics started on December 5, 2017. As of April 11, 190 academics had their first hearings. 10 of these academics were sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison and all of the sentences were suspended, except for that of Prof. Dr. Zübeyde Füsun Üstel.

What happened?

On January 10, 2016, 1,128 academics published a declaration entitled "We will not be party to this crime" on behalf of the Academics for Peace initiative.

On March 10, 2016, Asst. Prof. Dr. Esra Mungan, Asst. Prof. Dr. Muzaffer Kaya, Assoc. Prof. Dr Kıvanç Ersoy and Asst. Prof. Dr. Meral Camcı read out the press statement at a press conference that was was held on behalf of the Academics for Peace/Istanbul group regarding the developments which had occurred since the declaration was first shared with the public.

The first three of these academics were arrested on the charge of "terrorist propaganda" on March 15, 2016, and the last, Camcı, who was abroad at the time, was arrested on March 31 when she returned to Turkey. The four academics were released on April 22, 2016 upon their first hearing, in which the prosecutor of the trial changed the charges pressed against the academics to the crimes regulated under Article 301 of the Turkish Penal Code (insulting Turkey, the Turkish nation, or Turkish government institutions) and applied for authorization from the Ministry of Justice to hold the trial under the new article.

Another bill of indictment was prepared in October 2017 regarding at least 148 academics who signed the declaration. The academics were charged with "terrorist organization propaganda" under Article 7/2 of the Turkish Anti-Terror Act (#3713) in the bill of indictment prepared by Prosecutor İsmet Bozkurt. The first hearings were held on December 5, 2017.

As of April 11, 190 academics had their first hearings. 10 of these academics were sentenced to 1 year and 3 months in prison and all of the sentences were suspended, except for that of Prof. Dr. Zübeyde Füsun Üstel. (BK/SD)