- At the 14th hearing of the Umut Trial, which covers the assassinations against journalists and intellectuals, it was requested from the General Directorate of Security that the status of the vehicle registered under fugitive defendant Oğuz Demir be investigated.
- The court decided that a memorandum be written to MIT and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requesting information about the residence addresses of the defendant and his family.
Büşra Genel
The 14th hearing of the “Umut Trial” regarding the murders of journalist Uğur Mumcu and politicians Ahmet Taner Kışlalı, Muammer Aksoy and Bahriye Üçok was held at Ankara 5th High Criminal Court.
The hearing, which was supposed to start at 10:00, started with a delay of about half an hour. Due to the small size of the courtroom, observers had difficulty following the hearing. Members of the press were not allowed to take notes using phones or computers.
The hearing was observed by CHP Group Deputy Chair Gökhan Günaydın, CHP Deputy Chair Gökçe Gökçen, CHP Provincial Deputy Chair Pınar Akgül Doğusoy, CHP Women’s Branch Chair Asu Kaya, representatives of professional organizations, members of the press, and an MLSA observer.
After lawyer of the Uğur Mumcu family Yalçın Akbal, Mumcu’s daughter Özge Mumcu Aybars, and the panel of judges were present in the courtroom, the hearing began.
Taking the floor, Akbal requested that the fate of the vehicle with license plate “06 APJ 03,” stated to be registered in the name of fugitive defendant Oğuz Demir, be investigated. Akbal stated that there are suspicions that the defendant and his relatives may have fled to Australia and requested that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, General Directorate of Security, and National Intelligence Organization (MIT) send information and documents on the matter to the court.
The public prosecutor expressed the opinion that the capture of the defendant Oğuz Demir, who has a warrant for arrest, should be awaited.
Announcing the interim ruling, the panel of judges decided that a letter be written to the General Directorate of Security to ask whether the vehicle with license plate “06 APJ 03,” said to belong to the defendant, is found in police records. The court also ruled that a memorandum be written to MIT and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to request information about the residence addresses of the defendant and his family, and that the capture of the fugitive defendant be awaited.
The hearing was postponed to July 14.
About the case
In the Umut Trial, which covers assassinations against journalists and intellectuals, the judicial process has been ongoing for many years. The file covers a total of 21 unsolved murders, most notably Ahmet Taner Kışlalı, Uğur Mumcu, Bahriye Üçok, and Muammer Aksoy.
In the case, fugitive defendant Oğuz Demir is being tried on charges of membership in the “Tevhid Selam/Quds Army” and placing the bomb in Uğur Mumcu’s car. Despite the trial ongoing for years, no significant progress has yet been made.
