Academics for Peace Acquitted by 17 Courts
Trial of academics, who have been charged with “propagandizing for a terrorist organization” for having signed the declaration entitled “We will not be a party to this crime” prepared by the Academics for Peace, continued in Kocaeli and İstanbul today (September 17).
In the first hearing held at the İstanbul 36th Heavy Penal Court today, Research Assistant Serdar Başçetin from Erzincan University has been acquitted in his final hearing that he attended via Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBİS).
The İstanbul 37th Heavy Penal Court has also ruled that Research Assistant Esra Demir Gürsel from Marmara University and Research Assistant Emre Özyetiş from Mardin Artuklu University shall be acquitted. It marks the first time the board of the İstanbul 37th Heavy Penal Court chaired by Presiding Judge Akın Gürlek has given a verdict of acquittal in trials of academics.
Having his second and final hearing at the Kocaeli 5th Heavy Penal Court around the same time today, Prof. Dr. Cengiz Erçin from Kocaeli University has also been acquitted.
Verdicts of acquittal at 17 courts
After the Constitutional Court ruled that the freedom of expression of Academics for Peace has been violated, joint and separate verdicts of acquittal have been given for academics at 17 courts in total. These five provinces and 17 courts are as follows:
İstanbul: 32nd Heavy Penal Court (ACM), 30th ACM, 26th ACM, 36th ACM, 22nd ACM, 28th ACM, 25th ACM, 34th ACM, 37th ACM, 29th ACM, 33rd ACM, 23rd ACM, 24th ACM
Diyarbakır: 11th Heavy Penal Court
Ankara: 18th Heavy Penal Court
Kocaeli: 5th Heavy Penal Court
Düzce: Düzce Heavy Penal Court
According to the Academics for Peace website, as of 4 p.m. on September 17, 171 academics have been confirmed to be acquitted so far.
Source: Bianet.org