Sedat Peker Acquitted of Trial of Threatening Academics

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However, Sedat Peker, facing trial on charge of “threat” and “provocation for crime” after his written statement against the academics who signed the declaration entitled ‘’We will not be a party to this crime" has been acquitted.

The sixth trial of the case was realized in the 20th Penal Court of First Instance of Anatolian Court of Justice.

Peker not having attended any hearing before, did not come to the decision trial either.

The plaintiff solicitor demanded that the defendant be punished.

Peker’s solicitor demanded that the written statement be perceived as freedom of thought and expression.

The Judge, Imran Arık Özcan returned an acquittal about Peker on account of not committing any alleged crime.

The 41st Penal Court of First Instance of Anatolian Court of Justice had returned an acquittal in June, 2018 about Peker, being judged to have stated to hang the ones calling Erdoğan as a dictator to flagstaff.

Rejection of summons for the academics’ cases

According to Hurriyet newspaper, Oya Meriç Eyüboğlu, one of the solicitors of plaintiff has that legal elements of the alleged crimes on Peker, the defendant, have come into being.

“Nobody can make any statement containing crime by depending on an article so. I know that this trial is not so easy to realize and I understand you as well.

“After the case I was threatened because of my statements in front of the court of justice.

“However, we faithfully believe that the court will reach a legal verdict.

“Our claim about the defendant is still actual.

“And we heartily demand that he be punished”.

Given parole, Gizem Sayın, another one of the plaintiff academics said, “My name is also there, on the signature list. And I’m telling this proudly”.

“My name is also on the list presented to the Parliament.

“Fortunately, we were not killed, and they did not swim in our bloods”.

Because of the declaration up to now approximately 260 academics have been sued for “propaganda of terrorist organization”.

Each of 16 of them have received imprisonment of 1 year and 3 months while the decision of postponing the explication of two academics’ judgments on a postdate was not executed.

Solicitor of Sedat Peker, the defendant, Turgay Özdoğan stated, “My client has targeted the terrorist organizations clearly in his article”, and continued as mentioning that the academics have been expelled and judged because of the declaration.

The academics have demanded the summons about the cases claimed against them.

The judged hrefused this demand because it would not make any vital difference about the file.

What happened?

The declaration in which 1,128 academics from 89 universities and more than 355 academics and researchers from abroad called on Turkey to stop violence and preparing the negotiation conditions was published on 11 January, 2016.

Sedat Peker threatened the academics in an article published on 13 January, 2016 via his website www.sedatpeker.com.

In the article entitled “The so-called intelligentsia, the bells will firstly ring for you”, he added to shed their blood and swim in it.

On denunciations and complaints of Education and Science Workers' Union, Libertarian Lawyers' Association (ÖHD) Ankara Branch and academics, Peker was sued.

In the indictment prepared by chief public prosecutor Ahmet Aslan, Peker was accused of threats and provocation of committal.

About Sedat Peker

Peker, being searched seven months on charge with “making collections, withholding forcibly and encouraging to kill” was brought from Romania to Turkey on 19 August, 1998 and was sued with a demand of 7.5 years of imprisonment.

Along with 12 defendants he was released on 24 May, 1999 from the case in which he was being judged of starting a gang.

He was sentenced in two cases of three on charge of "establishing a criminal organization, threatening, bullying the workplace, injuring, threating freedom, looting and using false identity".

He was also tried in the Ergenekon trial on charge of “establishing an armed organization”.

On August 5, 2013, Peker was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment in the Ergenekon trial concluded by Istanbul 13th High Criminal Court.

On March 10, 2014 he was released after the amendment to the laws of the courts of competent jurisdiction and the consideration of detention of more than 5 years.

The case is still in the Court of Appeal. (HG/TK)