The Chief Prosecutor’s Office in Istanbul filed a lawsuit against Hakan Kanın (the-then police commissioner at the Technical Operation Branch of the Department of Intelligence) who deleted the last phone records of Haydar Meriç, a local journalist in Kırklareli province, who was kidnapped after he announced he was preparing to pen a critical book about Fetullah Gülen. Meriç’s body found near Düzce province on July 18, 2011. It was alleged by the prosecution that Kanın has used the ByLock, and he was requested to sentence for “membership in a terrorist organisation” and “Preventing the Functioning of a System and Deletion, Alteration or Corrupting of Data” (14 May)

The Kırklareli 2nd High Criminal Court decided to release the police officer Abdül Köksal who has been tried for “eavesdropping” to 70 people, including journalist Haydar Meriç on October 7.  Köksel had been sentenced to 9 years and 2 months of imprisonment for “eavesdropping”, “recording private data”, “Violation of the Immunity of Residence” and “memberhsip in a terrorist organisation”.

When the decision about Köksal was reversed by the 3rd Criminal Chamber of the Istanbul Regional Court of Justice, the file was sent to the local court again. Köksal is now being tried for “Violation of the Immunity of Residence” and “membership in a terrorist organisation”. The next trial will be held on January 27, 2020 (1 October).