Court Changes Its Decision of SEGBIS, Lawyers to Attend Hearing in Person

Drawing*: In his letter to bianet, Taner Korkmaz, who is kept in Van Type F Prison, depictured the SEGBİS decision about the lawyers as seen 

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First hearings of trial of 20 lawyers from Progressive Legists’ Association (ÇHD) and People’s Law Bureau will be held on September 10-14. 17 of the 20 lawyers are in jail pending for trial.

Arrested in İstanbul and kept in seven different cities despite to be tried in İstanbul as well, 17 lawyers had stated that they wouldn’t give their statements of defense unless the decision for them to be deposed via Audio and Information System (SEGBİS) be revoked, and declared that they went on hunger strike until this decision is revoked.

In its decision today (September 5), İstanbul 37th Heavy Penal Court wrote to prison for the lawyers to be brought in person to the hearing which will be held in Bakırköy Courthouse in September.

Speaking to bianet, defendant Ezgi Çakır stated that “the hearings with SEGBİS are held without defendant and this contravenes right to fair trial”, and told of the problems that occur due to hearings with SEGBİS.

17 lawyers are imprisoned in seven different cities

Imprisoned lawyers:

Behiç Aşçı and Aytaç Ünsal Burhaniye Type T;

Didem Ünsal and Şükriye Erden Karabük Type T;

Naciye Demir, Barkın Timtik and Zehra Özdemir Bolu Type T;

Ebru Timtik and Yağmur Evin Balıkesir Type T;

Aycan Çiçek and Ayşegül Çağatay Düzce Type T;

Süleyman Gökten Tekirdağ No. 1 Type T;

Engin Gökoğlu Tekirdağ No. 2 Type T;

Ahmet Mandacı and Özgür Yılmaz Edirne Type F;

Most of the lawyers were detained during the police raid launched against their bureaus on September 12, 2017, and were arrested on September 20. Kocağaçlı was arrested on November 13, 2017. (AS/TK)

* Judge: What happened, summoner?
Summoner: The defendants are not in the courtroom, sir.
Judge: It doesn't matter. We will judge not them, but the attorneyship that they did, anyway.