Partial Acquittals in Hopa Trial
Seven people who were tried under allegations of "spreading propaganda for an illegal organization" in the context of the Hopa demonstrations were acquitted on Monday (26 September).
15 people were arrested during riots in Hopa around the visit of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to the city on the eastern Black Sea coast in May this year. A trial was opened against 14 of the defendants before the Erzurum 2nd High Criminal Court, seven of whom were prosecuted according to the Anti-Terror Law (TMK). Twelve defendants are being detained in the Erzurum Prison, two in the Otlu Prison. Their detention will be continued due to other allegations put up against them.
Lawyer Gülşen Uzuner said in an interview with bianet, "The final plea of the prosecution and the court decision both proved right our defence regarding the [defendants'] 'use of democratic rights'. The court confirmed that they used their right to freedom of expression".
The investigation into the incidents in Hopa has been kept confidential. While the proceedings handled in Erzurum have been closed now, the indictment referring to the trial to be held in Hopa is expected to be ready soon.
Prime Minister Erdoğan visited Hopa on 31 May 2011 as part of his election campaign. On this occasion, demonstrators protested against hydroelectric power plants (HES). Thereupon, the police intervened against them with the heavy use of tear gas. Retired teacher Metin Lokumu died from the results of the tear gas. After that, the district was blocked and a total of 37 people were arrested in Hopa and Ankara in the course of protests against the police intervention.
According to the indictment accepted by the Erzurum court on 24 August, Ali Aksu, İbrahim Aksu, Görgü Demirpençe, İdris Akbıyık, Erhan Köse, Şafak Ustabaş and Önder Öner were facing imprisonment of between one and three years each on charges of "propaganda for a terrorist organization". The first hearing of the case was held on 14 September. At the second hearing on Monday, the defendants were acquitted by reason of "lack of evidence".
Transfer requested
All defendants are going to remain in detention pending trial due to further allegations of "resistance against the police", "opposing the law on meetings and demonstrations" and "damage of public property".
Lawyer Uzuner told bianet that she applied for the transfer of her clients to a prison close to Hopa. "The detention in Erzurum is coercive in terms of seeing the families. Since the case has been closed here now it would be more correct to send them to a regional prison as far as both the visitors and the ongoing investigation are concerned. In fact, there is no reason for the defendants to stay in Erzurum". (AS/VK)