The seventh hearing was heard of the trial brought against Evrensel columnist and Labour Party Central Executive Committee member, Yusuf Karataş. In response to Karataş, who had once more applied for a lifting of the ban on leaving the country, the court found the ban to be “proportional.” The next hearing was adjourned until 11 March 2020.
Diyarbakır Serious Crime Court No 9 was the venue for the seventh hearing of the trial brought against Evrensel columnist and Labour Party Central Executive Committee member, Yusuf Karataş, in which imprisonment from fifteen to twenty-two and a half years is sought on the charge of “establishing and managing a terrorist organization” with meetings he attended cited as grounds. The hearing was attended by Karataş’s lawyers, Journalists Union of Turkey Diyarbakır Representative Mahmut Oral and journalists.
“JUDICIAL CONTROL HAS BEEN TURNED INTO A PUNISHMENT”
Taking the stand at the hearing, Karataş said, “I am an Evrensel columnist and Labour Party Central Executive Committee member. I attended Democratic Society Congress (DTK) activities as representative of my party. At that time, there were also government officials. Now, conversely, I am being prosecuted. My ban on leaving the country has been in place for a long time. I need to be able to go abroad for my job. Judicial control has been turned into a punishment. I apply for a lifting of the judicial control implementation.”
Addressing the court after Karataş, his attorney Diren Elif Vurgun for her part stated that they reiterated the written defence verbatim and applied for a lifting of the ban on leaving the country and excusal from attendance at hearings.
BAN ON LEAVING THE COUNTRY STILL REMAINS IN PLACE
Finding the judicial control measure in the form of a ban on leaving the country to be “proportional,” the court bench dismissed the application, ruled that Karataş be excused from attending hearings and adjourned the hearing until 10 am on 11 March 2020.
Hediye Levent
Yusuf Karadaş
Yücel Özdemir