İzmir – Fifth hearing of the trial where 12 defendants, including freelance journalist Ceren Karlıdağ, face “defying the Law on Assemblies and Demonstrations no. 2911,” “prevention of public duty” and “resisting the police” charges resumed at İzmir 32nd Criminal Court of First Instance today.
Karlıdağ was taken into police custody on 26 September 2014 while she was reporting on the student protests which took place on Ege University’s campus alongside the students who were protesting. The police interfered in the peaceful student protest, while the students set up a tent with a sign that read,“We’re on a life watch against ISIS terror, we’re on a hunger strike for 24 hours.” 12 people including Karlıdağ were accused of resisting the police. While none of the defendants except journalist Karlıdağ attended the hearing, lawyer İmdat Aktaş who defends the majority of the students was present in the courtroom.
When the judge asked if she has anything to add, Karlıdağ repeated her testimony from the police interrogation and said: “I deny these accusations. I was a journalism student at Ege Universtiy at the time and I was taking photos of the protest. I did not resist the police when they intervened, I only tried to explain that I was a journalist practising my profession.”
The court adjourned the trial until 5 November.
