Trials against Özgür Gündem and Özgürlükçü Demokrasi postponed to November

The trials against Özgür Gündem Newspaper editor-in-chief Hüseyin Aykol and other journalists, and journalists from Özgürlükçü Demokrasi, both closed by Decree-Law, were postponed.

The hearing of the trial of Hüseyin Aykol, the editor-in-chief of Özgür Gündem newspaper, which was closed by Statutory Decree, Zana Kaya, and Inan Kızılkaya, and Kurdish politician Hatip Dicle, was held at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance in Çağlayan.

While Dicle, Aykol, Kaya and Kızılkaya, who are on trial on charges of "publicly humiliating the government, the judiciary or the police force" and "publicly humiliating the Turkish nation, the Republic and the Turkish Grand National Assembly", did not attend the hearing, lawyer Sercan Korkmaz did.

It was decided to wait for the execution of the arrest warrant issued against Hatip Dicle and the hearing was adjourned to 2 November.

The hearing of the trial of Journalist Can Dündar, who joined the editor-in-chief on duty campaign launched in solidarity with Özgür Gündem, and Inan Kızılkaya, for the charges of "insulting a public official", was held at the same judge's office. The next hearing was set for 2 November as the court decided to wait for the execution of the arrest warrant against Can Dündar and the response to the international rogatory letter for his defense to be taken from abroad.

The trial of journalist Aziz Oruç and Ersin Çaksu, who were prosecuted for allegations of "publicly insulting the state, the government, the military or the police force" stemming from the news in the newspaper Özgürlükçü Democracy, also closed by Statutory Decree (KHK), was also held at the same judge's office.

The next hearing was set on 30 November, with the request of implementing the arrest warrant issued for journalist Ersin Çaksu.