Journalists Detained for Six Months - Release Rejected

The Istanbul 11^th High Criminal Court rejected the release of Atılım newspaper journalists Çağdaş Küçükbattal and Tuncay Mat. Both journalists stand trial for allegedly participating in the demolition of a base station in the Gazi district on the European side of Istanbul.

The trial of eleven defendants, six of them detained, started on 5 March. The defendants stand accused of participating in the destruction of the base station as part of organized activities related to the Marxist Leninist Communist Party (MLKP).

Mat and Küçükbattal: We followed the incident as journalists

In the indictment, Public Prosecutor Kadir Altınışık demands to prosecute Küçükbattal and Mat over allegations of "reinforcing coercion, violence or threat in the course of the incident", "membership of an armed organization", "damaging public property" and "opposing the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations".

Küçükbattal and Mat have been in detention for the last six months. They stated for their defence that they followed the incidents as journalists.

"We were there as journalists"

Küçükbattal was doing an internship at Atılım newspaper at the time. He claimed, "I had a camera hung around my neck as you can see from the photographs in the file. My handwritten notes were confiscated in the search of my home and are presented as evidence of crime numbered 1-5. These are my notes for the news items. It is very clear that these are notes for news articles". Küçükbattal asked the court, "Are you prosecuting me for doing journalism? Is journalism illegal?"

The confiscated "handwritten document" comprises a text of five pages. Küçükbattal allegedly took notes regarding "a clear explanation of the incident". Afterwards, he supposedly agitated the crowd by spreading his information. "He provoked the people and directed them to the building of the base station. He took notes on the topics of destroying the base station, clashes with security forces and being driven back". This document was allegedly found at Küçükbattal's home.

Case continues on 28 March

Also the lawyers referred to several points of the indictment that were contrary to the law in their speeches of defence. The court decided to postpone the case to 28 May. (EÖ/VK)