Trial of lawyer Serhat Hezer adjourned to October 3 for prosecutor's final opinion
The trial of lawyer Serhat Hezer, charged with "membership in a terrorist organization" and facing up to 15 years in prison, has been adjourned to October 3 for the prosecutor to prepare the final opinion. Hezer is being prosecuted for his professional activities and based on testimony from a confessing witness.
The second hearing took place at the Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court, where Hezer, his lawyers, and several members of the Diyarbakır Bar Association, Human Rights Association (İHD), and other legal and rights organizations attended in support. Confessing witness Ümit Akbıyık testified via video link, alleging that Hezer participated in the statements of detainees involved in organizational activities and that he had previously served as Akbıyık's lawyer. Akbıyık also claimed that the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD), of which Hezer is a member, was directed by the organization in question, but he admitted to having no knowledge of whether Hezer had a code name or other involvement in the organization.
Hezer briefly responded, stating, "I have nothing to add."
His lawyer, Yunus Muratakan, dismissed Akbıyık's claims about ÖHD as baseless and emphasized the need for the court to review the interrogation and identification records to determine whether Akbıyık had been influenced or accompanied by a lawyer during his statements. He pointed out that another lawyer allegedly present during the process had been confirmed to be at the Diyarbakır Courthouse at the time.
The prosecutor, however, rejected these requests, arguing that the witness statements and identification records would not contribute anything new to the case, and requested more time to prepare the final opinion.
Muratakan stressed the importance of the witness testimonies for evaluating Hezer's legal status, while lawyer Mehdi Özdemir noted that Akbıyık’s testimony had led to an investigation involving 34 other lawyers. Özdemir requested that the Diyarbakır Bar Association provide a copy of the investigation file regarding the lawyer who was allegedly present during the testimony. He also condemned the criminalization of civil society organizations through witness testimony. Lawyer Erhan Demir argued that Hezer was clearly being prosecuted for his legal work and called for his immediate acquittal, also requesting the removal of Hezer's travel ban.
After deliberations, the court denied the request to include Akbıyık’s identification and interrogation records, citing their lack of relevance. The court deferred its decision on the travel ban and judicial control measures until the final verdict. The case was adjourned to October 3, 2024, for the prosecutor to submit the final opinion.
