The court also has lifted the international travel ban imposed on Kartal

The sixth hearing in the trial of Karşı Mahalle reporter Sezgin Kartal on the charge of “membership in a terrorist organization” was held at the İstanbul 22nd High Criminal Court on 25 June 2024.

Kartal’s lawyers Meriç Eyüboğlu and Berfin Karaşah attended the hearing, which P24 monitored.

The prosecutor had demanded sentencing for Kartal for the impugned crime in their final opinion on the case delivered at the hearing on 25 April 2024. Stating that the prosecutor was on leave, the presiding judge asked the new prosecutor whether they changed the final opinion. The prosecutor responed that they agreed with the opinion and demanded sentencing for Kartal.

Speaking against the final opinion on the case, lawyer Meriç Eyüboğlu said, “The only attribution to my client is not being able to receive signal from his cell phone for three hours when he went to Suruç on 26 September 2014. During these three hourse, there is a chance that it could be drained or it had no reception. However, this three-hour period is cited as evidence for ‘membership in a terrorist organization.’ The allegation that my client went to Kobane on 26 September and returned in three hours is neither sensible, nor is compatible with the natural flow of life,” and demanded Kartal’s acquittal.

Kartal’s lawyer Berfin Karaşah spoke as follows: “Even if my client had undertaken the impugned actions, we still cannot talk about a ‘membership’ here. If he had göne to Kobane, as accused of, it would merely constitute the crime of border violation. There is no sufficient material element to constitute the crime of ‘membership in a terrorist organization.’” Karaşah demanded Kartal’s acquittal.

The court ruled that the impugned crime was not committed and decided to acquit Kartal. The court also lifted the international travel ban imposed on the journalist.

Bakcground of the case

Kartal was charged over a photo dated 26 September 2014, allegedly found in a computer confiscated as part of another investigation carried out by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. The police raided Kartal’s house by breaking down his door and took him into custody on 10 January 2023. Kartal was imprisoned pending trial on 13 January on the charge of “membership in a terrorist organization.”

In the indictment in which the materials confiscated during the house raid were cited as evidence, it was stated that Kartal had moved towards Şanlıurfa’s Suruç district two days after the said photo was taken, and then the journalist moved to the region where the photo was taken and joined the terrorist organization’s armed attacks.