- The third hearing of the case in which Ercüment Akdeniz is being tried in detention started about an hour later than it was supposed to.
- Witness Ali Deli said that he did not know Akdeniz and that he did not see him at the meeting which is the subject of the accusation.
- The defense requested the lifting of the judicial control decision, stating that the international travel ban had turned into a punishment.
MLSA – The third hearing of the case in which journalist Ercüment Akdeniz is being tried in detention on the charge of “membership in an organization” was held at Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court. Akdeniz attended the hearing.
The hearing, which was supposed to start at 2:30 p.m., began approximately an hour late due to workload.
Ali Deli, who was heard as a witness at the hearing, said that he did not know Ercüment Akdeniz and that he also did not know about the accusation made against him.
The witness stated that he was detained at the meeting in 2011, which is the subject of the accusation, but was later released, and that he did not see Ercüment Akdeniz there that day.
Ali Deli was asked about the statement he gave at the Anti-Terrorism Branch in 2011.
When asked whether pro-PKK speeches were made at the meeting in question, the witness said, “I did not participate in this action. I looked over while passing by, I do not know about the events.”
“Now my lawyers will speak”
After the witness statements, Ercüment Akdeniz, taking the floor, said that he had nothing to say at this stage, adding, “Now my lawyers will speak.”
Akdeniz’s lawyer Özcan Karakoç said that there is not a single piece of evidence in the case file, and that the witnesses planned to be heard would only prolong the trial, requesting that hearing of the witnesses be abandoned.
Lawyer Karakoç, on the same grounds, requested the lifting of the judicial control decision against Akdeniz, saying, “The judicial control decision is disproportionate and restricts individual freedom.” Karakoç also requested that the case file be sent to the prosecutor's office for opinion on the merits.
The prosecutor, on the other hand, requested that the deficiencies in the file be completed.
The court ruled to abandon the hearing of witnesses, to maintain the international travel ban, and to send the file to the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office for the preparation of the opinion on the merits.
The hearing was postponed to June 2 at 2:30 p.m.
