The case in which journalist Ayşegül Doğan faces up to 22 and a half years in prison for her journalistic activities resumed in Diyarbakır. According to news covering her case, journalist is standing trial due to her interviews with DTK (Democratic Society Congress) members and participated events.
Diyarbakır 9. High Criminal Court is awaiting for voice recordings to be delivered to the court for examination.
At the fourth hearing of the trial held on 25 December, the court decided to write a letter to the Directorate General of Press and Information and ask whether Doğan was a press card.
The trial at the March 18, 2020, was postponed to June 10 due to the corona virus pandemic.
The next hearing will be held on October 7 (18 June).
Presented at the fifth hearing held on October 7, 2020, the opinion as to the accusations has demanded that Doğan be sentenced to 7.5 to 15 years in prison on charge of “membership of the organization.” The court has rejected the request that the speech tapes of Doğan be demanded from the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office on the grounds that it would not add anything new to the trial. Giving the attorneys time to make defense as to the accusations, the court has ruled that the next hearing shall be held on December 7, 2020 (October 7).
At the hearing held on December 7, 2020, journalist Ayşegül Doğan presented an excuse, indicating that she was the contact of a COVID-19 case; however, the court rejected her excuse “so that the trial could end within reasonable time.” The court has ruled that Doğan shall be sentenced to 6 years, 3 months in prison on charge of “membership in a terrorist organization.” The international travel ban on Doğan will also remain in force until the verdict becomes final (December 7).
In the trial where İMC TV Program Coordinator Ayşegül Doğan faced charges over her journalistic activities, the appeals court overturned her prison sentence of 6 years, 3 months on charge of “being a member of an organization” on the grounds that “the judgment had been handed down based on deficient inquiry and a justification non-compliant with the scope of the file”.
In the justified ruling, it was indicated that it should be put forward and discussed which acts and activities of the Democratic Society Congress (DTK) she had participated in for organizational purposes. The ruling also noted that the judgment was given without considering that the witness statements and evidence acquired during the investigation and prosecution had not been added to the case file in such a way to allow for inspection. In the same ruling, it was alleged that the judicial control measure in the form of an international travel ban was “proportionate” and ruled that the measure should remain in force.
With the date of the hearing not specified yet, the retrial is expected to begin in the upcoming months (April 3).
At the hearing held on October 17, 2022, the court rejected all requests of the lawyers, including that for lifting judicial control measures. The next hearing will be held on January 25, 2023 (October 17).
At the hearing held on January 25, 2023, the court ruled that the return of the order to hear witnesses should be awaited. The next hearing will be held on March 6 (January 25).
