Court orders not to release six suspects, including Altan brothers and Ilıcak, in FETÖ ‘media leg’ case

ISTANBUL

An Istanbul court ruled on June 23 to remand in custody all “media leg” suspects - including journalists Nazlı Ilıcak and Mehmet Altan and novelist Ahmat Altan – on trial in over alleged links to the Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), widely believed to have been behind the failed July 15, 2016 coup attempt, Doğan News Agency has reported.

In the fifth hearing of the case, the lawyers of the 17 suspects including Ilıcak, Ahmet Altan, Mehmet Altan, Mehmet Altan, Fevzi Yazıcı, Şükrü Tuğrul Özşengül and Yakup Şimşek, demanded release from the court.

However, the 26th penal court rejected release demand and ordered to remand in custody all suspects.

The court rejected the release demand and ordered to remand in custody six suspects in the fifth hearing of the case, citing a “strong crime suspicion,” the “possibility of lacking judicial control,” and “suspicion that the suspects may flee.”   

Following the court’s interim decision, the hearing was postponed to Sept. 19.

Jailed journalist and novelist Ahmet Altan harshly slammed the prosecutor who prepared an indictment against him in a court hearing on June 22, describing the indictment as “judicial porn.” 

Some 17 suspects are being tried in the case on charges of “attempting to overthrow the constitutional order,” “attempting to overthrow the parliament” and “attempting to overthrow the government.”

While facing three aggravated life sentences for the charges, they also face an additional prison term of 15 years on the charge of “committing crimes on behalf of a terrorist organization without being a member.”