Expression Interrupted

Journalists and academics bear the brunt of the massive crackdown on freedom of expression in Turkey. Scores of them are currently subject to criminal investigations or behind bars. This website is dedicated to tracking the legal process against them.

Imprisoned journalists Mehmet Kamış and Ali Çolak released pending trial

Imprisoned journalists Mehmet Kamış and Ali Çolak released pending trial

Kamış and Çolak were among the defendants tried in “Altans case.” The case file of Kamış, Çolak and eight other defendants against whom detention warrants were issued had been separated in September 2017

CANSU PİŞKİN, İSTANBUL

 

The 22nd hearing in the trial of imprisoned journalists Mehmet Kamış and Ali Çolak on charges of “attempting to overthrow parliament;” “attempting to overthrow government;” “attempting to overthrow constitutional order” and “membership in a terrorist organization” was held at the İstanbul 26th High Criminal Court on 25 July 2024.

Kamış and his lawyers were present at the hearing, which P24 monitored. Çolak attended the hearing via the judicial videoconferencing system from Marmara L-Type Closed Prison where he has been kept since 9 July.

“45 people stay in dormitories that have capacity of 25 people in Marmara Prison”

Çolak in his defense statement said the following: “There is only one and a half line about me in the whole indictment. I am being accused of investing TL 10,000 in Bank Asya and attending a random commercial meeting. It is out of question for me to be an instrument, orbiter or a member of any [illegal] organization. I have advanced hernia. I am staying in a dormitory of 45 people. Pre-trial detention that is supposed to be a preventive practice has turned into a torture for me.”

Kamış also stated that he had health issues and requested his release.

Ali Çolak’s lawyer Enes Malik Kılıç said that even though there are empty dormitories, his client stays with 45 people in dormitories that have capacity of 25 people in Marmara Prison. “This is a very crowded case and there are still some defendants who have not been arrested yet. My client has nothing to with Mehmet Kamış other than having written for the same newspaper, thus, we request the court to separate the file,” Kılıç stated and requested Çolak’s release.

Kamış’s lawyer Osman Yedekçi stated that pre-trial detention is a preventive practice and requested the release of his client who suffers from hypertension.

Co-plaintiff lawyer for the Grand National Assembly of Turkey requested for the missing elements in the case file to be completed.

The prosecutor requested the court to keep Kamış in pre-trial detention given the importance and nature of the impugned crime, the way he was captured and the risk of him fleeing, and to release Çolak under judicial control measures.

The court ruled that continuation of imprisonment would be excessive given the time they served and available evidence in the case file, and decided to release Kamış and Çolak with an international travel ban and obligation the check in police station every other week. 

 

The trial was adjourned until 12 November 2024.

 

Background of the case

Now-defunct Zaman daily’s Deputy Editor-in-Chief Mehmet Kamış and its editor for arts and culture desk Ali Çolak were among the defendants in the trial publicly known as “Altan case.” The case file of Kamış, Çolak and eight other defendants against whom detention warrants were issued had been separated on 19 September 2017. Journalist Kamış against whom a detention warrant had been issued was detained in İzmir on 22 November 2023. Kamış was sent to İstanbul 26th High Criminal Court on 23 November 2023 and subsequently imprisoned pending trial over “suspicion that he could flee.” Journalist Çolak against whom a detention warrant had been issued surrendered himself on 9 July 2024 and he was sent to pre-trial detention on the same day. The detention warrants issued against eight other defendants are yet to be executed.

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