DENİZ TEKİN
MLSA - In the case involving Vice News reporters Jake Hanrahan and Philip Pendlebury, who were arrested while filming a documentary in Sur during curfews and later deported, the court decided to forward the file to the prosecutor's office for a legal opinion on the merits.
The 18th hearing, held at the Diyarbakır 8th High Criminal Court, saw the absence of the defendants. Lawyers for Pendlebury and Hanrahan were present, expressing the need to examine the accuracy of the Turkish translations of statements from the UK-based journalists, which had been submitted between hearings.
Due to this, the court granted additional time for the lawyers to review the translations. The presiding judge, temporarily assigned due to the absence of the regular judge, arrived two hours late for the hearing.
The prosecutor requested the case file for the preparation of a legal opinion, and subsequently, the court sent the file to the prosecutor's office. The next hearing is scheduled for 21 February 2024.
Background:
Vice News reporter Jake Hanrahan and cameraman Philip Pendlebury, along with interpreter Mohammed İsmael Rasool, were detained in Diyarbakır in 2015 while filming a documentary on operations in Cizre, Silopi, Nusaybin, and Sur during curfews.
They were arrested on charges of "knowingly and willingly aiding an illegal organization." While the Turkish guide was released pending trial, the journalists and interpreter were sent to Adana F Type Prison, later released, and deported.
The indictment accuses them of various charges, including "being a member of an illegal organization" and "making propaganda for an illegal organization," with potential sentences ranging from 15 to 67 years. The money, footage, and news notes are presented as evidence in the case.
