News Center- 11 members of the Peace Mothers’ Initiative and two journalists İrfan Tunççelik and Ümit Turhan were taken into custody on May 10, 2019 during a hunger strike launched in front of the Bakırköy Women’s Closed Prison demanding the lift of the isolation imposed on Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, who has held in Imrali prison. An indictment was prepared against them on charges of “opposing the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations” and “membership of a terrorist organization”. The fifth hearing of the trial was held today by the Istanbul 23rd High Criminal Court. The journalists and their lawyers attended the hearing.

Expert report completed

The fourth hearing was postponed because the expert report was not completed. At the hearing, the judge said that the expert report was completed today. Then, the prosecutor demanded the case file to be sent to the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office for the preparation of their report.  

Lawyers will submit their defense after the report of the prosecutor’s office

The lawyers of 11 members of the Peace Mothers’ Initiative and two journalists said at the hearing that they would submit their defense after the report of the prosecutor’s office. The court has decided the case file to be sent to the prosecution for the preparation of the report and adjourned the hearing to July 13.