Musician Ferhat Tunç on trial: Germany rejects Turkey’s request

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Musician Ferhat Tunç has been on trial on charge of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" over eight tweets that he posted about the "Operation Peace Spring" of the Turkish Armed Forces in Syria's Afrin in 2018.

The trial of the artist continued at the İstanbul 37th Heavy Penal Court in İstanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan yesterday (December 29).

While Tunç did not attend the hearing, his attorneys were present in the courtroom. The parties requested the rectification of deficiencies in the file.

The court has ruled that the execution of the detention warrant previously issued against Ferhat Tunç to take his statement shall be awaited and adjourned the hearing until April 6, 2021.

In previous hearings, the court ruled that the testimony of Tunç be taken by letters rogatory*. However, in yesterday's hearing, it was seen that this decision by the local court in Turkey was rejected by Germany. According to an official letter sent by the Consulate General in Frankfurt to the Ministry of Justice, Darmstadt Prosecutor's Office did not accept the request.

The related letter of Turkey's Consulate General has indicated that the request for "mutual judicial assistance" was not fulfilled as per the Article 2b of the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters.

The letter has noted that "no detailed information can be shared as to the issue, but judicial assistance can be provided about other matters." (HA/SD)

* Letters rogatory: "Documents making a request through a foreign court to obtain information or evidence from a specified person within the jurisdiction of that court." (Source: Oxford Dictionary)