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JOURNALISTS SıK, MAVIOGLU ACQUITTED IN TURKEY
PanARMENIAN.Net
May 16, 2011 - 15:52 AMT
Turkey's Kadıköy 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance acquitted
journalists Ahmet Å~^ık and Ertugrul Mavioglu of charges of
"violations of the confidentiality of an investigation" stemming from
their two-volume work entitled "Understanding the counter guerrilla
and Ergenekon" and "Who is who in Ergenekon".
Hundreds of people joined a protest march towards the court house
on the Asian side of Istanbul before the hearing. They lead the
demonstration with a banner reading "We touch [certain issues]
even if we get burned". They chanted slogans like "For my pen, my
book, my honor", "Ahmet will get out and write again" or "Immediate
freedom now".
A number of public figures supported Å~^ık and Mavioglu, among them
Press Institute Association President Ferai Tınc, Orhan Dink and
Arat Dink as relatives of slain Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink.
Å~^ık stated that the trial lacked a legal basis. "The two volumes as
subject to the trial are based on public sources. They were written
after a thorough investigation of the indictment and additional
evidence regarding the prosecution of the deep state. The books are
based on our experience in journalism," he said.
Mavioglu also claimed that they did not violate the confidentiality
of the investigation and that the prosecution knew this as well at
the stage of interrogation before the trial was opened.
"Ahmet Å~^ık and I are not journalists who obtain information from
MÄ°T [National Intelligence Agency], the police, the special authority
prosecution, the CIA or from the other side of the ocean. We wrote
this book by relying on public sources. The Prime Minister or the
Chief of General Staff are not among our sources either. I request
my acquittal".
Thereupon, defense lawyer Fikret Ä°lkiz rejected charges of "violation
of confidentiality" and demanded to drop the charges. Judge Gulden
Filiz Tuysuz decreed for a lack of element of crime and decided for
the acquittal of both journalists, Bianet reported.
PanARMENIAN.Net
May 16, 2011 - 15:52 AMT
Turkey's Kadıköy 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance acquitted
journalists Ahmet Å~^ık and Ertugrul Mavioglu of charges of
"violations of the confidentiality of an investigation" stemming from
their two-volume work entitled "Understanding the counter guerrilla
and Ergenekon" and "Who is who in Ergenekon".
Hundreds of people joined a protest march towards the court house
on the Asian side of Istanbul before the hearing. They lead the
demonstration with a banner reading "We touch [certain issues]
even if we get burned". They chanted slogans like "For my pen, my
book, my honor", "Ahmet will get out and write again" or "Immediate
freedom now".
A number of public figures supported Å~^ık and Mavioglu, among them
Press Institute Association President Ferai Tınc, Orhan Dink and
Arat Dink as relatives of slain Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink.
Å~^ık stated that the trial lacked a legal basis. "The two volumes as
subject to the trial are based on public sources. They were written
after a thorough investigation of the indictment and additional
evidence regarding the prosecution of the deep state. The books are
based on our experience in journalism," he said.
Mavioglu also claimed that they did not violate the confidentiality
of the investigation and that the prosecution knew this as well at
the stage of interrogation before the trial was opened.
"Ahmet Å~^ık and I are not journalists who obtain information from
MÄ°T [National Intelligence Agency], the police, the special authority
prosecution, the CIA or from the other side of the ocean. We wrote
this book by relying on public sources. The Prime Minister or the
Chief of General Staff are not among our sources either. I request
my acquittal".
Thereupon, defense lawyer Fikret Ä°lkiz rejected charges of "violation
of confidentiality" and demanded to drop the charges. Judge Gulden
Filiz Tuysuz decreed for a lack of element of crime and decided for
the acquittal of both journalists, Bianet reported.