A secret witness testified via video conference in the long-running trial of 23 individuals, including former editors and reporters of a leftist news agency and members of a socialist party, at the 27th High Criminal Court in Istanbul on Oct. 22. The case involves charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” and “terrorist propaganda.”
Among the defendants are İsminaz Temel, former editor of the Etkin News Agency (ETHA); Havva Cuştan, a former reporter for the agency; and Özlem Gümüştaş, co-chair of the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP). The 31st hearing of the case was held without the attendance of the defendants.
A secret witness, testifying through the judicial video system SEGBİS and reportedly cooperating under the “effective remorse” provisions of Turkish law, confirmed the statements he had previously given to the gendarmerie. He claimed that Sezin Uçar, a lawyer with the Ezilenlerin Hukuk Bürosu (Law Office of the Oppressed), participated in educational activities for women allegedly organized by the banned Marxist-Leninist Communist Party (MLKP). However, he admitted he had no knowledge of the defendants recruiting members for the organization.
The witness also stated that he only saw the names of the defendants at ESP events and had no direct contact with them.
The prosecutor reiterated the previous opinion submitted to the court.
Defense lawyer Mustafa Taylan Saylan requested the removal of judicial control measures imposed on the defendants and asked the court to include in the case file the original incident report allegedly prepared at the time of the events. He emphasized that there is no official documentation of the alleged incident.
The court postponed the trial to 10 a.m. on March 11, 2026, to allow the defendants and their lawyers to submit written defense statements. It ruled that the requests regarding the lifting of judicial control measures will be evaluated between sessions.
