21 jailed journalists in Turkey released and taken into custody again the same day
21 journalists and media professionals in Turkey who had been jailed for the past 8 months in connection to the ongoing investigation into the ‘media network of FETÖ’ were released and taken into custody again before even leaving the prison.
Though the prosecutor leading the case had requested the release of 21 journalists in the case that involved 29 media professionals, he then objected to the decision of the Heavy Penal Court and requested for 8 of them to be taken into custody again. At the same time, İstanbul’s Chief Prosecutor’s office filed a new case against the other 13 journalists and requested for them to be arrested again with the reason of ‘their alleged membership to a terrorist organization’. And, before even 24 hours passed over its initial decision for these 21 journalists to be released, the same court ordered them to be taken into custody again.
Reacting to it, CHP’s İstanbul MP Barış Yarkadaş made statements from his social media account, saying ‘it is an absolute disgrace for the judicial system in the country.’ Yarkadaş also pointed out how this strengthens the speculations about the pressure put on the Justice Ministry and the Supreme Council of Judges and Prosecutors and the interference of government officials over the judicial processes.
Yarkadaş added: “If there was already another investigation about these suspects, the prosecutor could have mentioned that while the case was still pending. It is obvious that the judiciary was put under pressure and the decision was reversed. And, I do not know any reason or law term that could explain this…”