Çandar and Işıktaş are on trial for allegedly “praising crime and criminal” for social media posts they shared in 2017

CANSU PİŞKİN, ISTANBUL

The second hearing of the trial against journalist Cengiz Çandar and Kemal Işıktaş for allegedly “praising an offence or an offender" under Article 215 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) was held on 15 April 2021 at the Istanbul 30th Criminal Court of First Instance.

Çandar and Işıktaş are on trial over social media posts they shared in May 2017 about Ayşe Deniz Karacagil, who died in 2017 in the Syrian city of Raqqa after joining the PKK. The indictment alleges that Çandar and Işıktaş’s posts about Karacagil involved “clear and imminent threat to public order.”

P24 monitored the hearing where Çandar's lawyer Zelal Pelin Doğan and Işıktaş and his lawyer Bahri Belen were present. Çandar, who lives abroad, did not attend the hearing.

Addressing the court for his defense statement, Işıktaş rejected the accusation and asked to be acquitted.

Çandar’s lawyer Doğan told the court that they were waiting for the submission of the letter rogatory for her client’s statement to be taken abroad. Doğan asked the court to lift the arrest warrant for her client. The prosecutor demanded that the arrest warrant for Çandar be lifted and that his file be separated after his statement is taken.

Issuing an interim ruling, the court lifted the arrest warrant for Çandar and adjourned the trial until 23 September.