İstanbul - The trial where 27 defendants including German citizen journalist Meşale Tolu face terror charges is adjourned until October, the court lifted one defendant’s travel ban while judicial control measures for other defendants remain in effect.
Ninth hearing of the trial where 27 defendants including journalist and translator Meşale Tolu face “membership in a terrorist organization” and “terrorist propaganda” charges because of journalistic activities was held at Istanbul 29th High Criminal Court today.
Etkin News Agency (ETHA) reporter Meşale Tolu could not attend the hearing because she was abroad. Several defendants and their lawyers were present in the courtroom. German Green Party MP and Media Policies Spokesperson Margit Stumpp and Left Party MP Heike Hensel followed the hearing as well.
When asked for a statement, the prosecutor demanded the secret witness nicknamed Deniz Gülhan to be listened to again and requested judicial control measures for all defendants to remain in effect. Defendants and their lawyers requested the confiscated digital materials to be returned to them and demanded their judicial control measures to be lifted.
The court decided to lift defendant Deniz Havuç’s international travel ban while ruling for the continuation of other defendants’ travel bans and judicial control measures. The trial is adjourned until 11 October.
Suat Çorlu, a defendant in this case, had traveled from Germany last night to attend the hearing. Çorlu’s passport was confiscated upon his arrival at Sabiha Gökçen Airport in Istanbul. He was informed that an international travel ban was issued on his behalf on May 14. Çorlu, who is defendant Meşale Tolu’s spouse, will not be able to return to Germany, where he lives.
