In a trial proceeding held on 23 June, Journalist Sezgin Kartal, arrested on Jan. 13 on terror charges , has been released under the condition of a travel ban. The presiding court cited the duration of his detention and the current state of evidence in his case as grounds for this decision.
Kartal, a reporter for Karşı Mahalle, was arrested after his home was stormed on Jan. 10, the Day of Working Journalists. Following a three-day detainment, he was formally taken into custody under suspicions of "membership in a terrorist organization." According to an indictment drafted on Jan. 24, 2023, a photograph alleged to have been discovered on a computer confiscated during a house search in an unrelated investigation, was presented as evidence against Kartal. The second hearing of Kartal's case, in which he faces charges of "membership in a terrorist organization," was held at the Istanbul 22nd Heavy Penal Court. Kartal was present in the courtroom, accompanied by the gendarmerie. Kartal, expressing his inability to evaluate the presented report with his attorneys, pointed out that the photo in question, if proven to connect him to an organization, would have disrupted his routine life. He insisted that as a member of an organization, he couldn't have participated in daily live broadcasts and continued his regular work schedule. Kartal further disclosed his compliance with an arrest warrant issued against him the previous year while he was out of town. Lawyer Oya Meriç Eyüboğlu highlighted the incomplete nature of the investigation regarding who Kartal was with on the date in question. She asked for time to gather witness testimonies regarding Kartal's exact reasons for being present at the location that day. She also critiqued the methods of the experts, suggesting their focus was more on possibilities rather than concrete evidence. Despite the prosecutor's demand for Kartal's continued detention based on the "strong suspicion of committing the crime attributed to him," Eyüboğlu reminded the court of the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and the Constitutional Court. Asserting Kartal's non-affiliation with any organization, she demanded an end to his detention. Considering the current evidence and Kartal's detention duration, the court granted his release under judicial control measures, including a travel ban. The case has been adjourned until Oct. 31.
