Fourth hearing in the main case against Özgür Gündem newspaper, which was shut down by the AKP government, was held at İstanbul 23rd Heavy Penal Court today.

Özgür Gündem's Editorial Consultant Board members, executives and writers Necmiye Alpay, Aslı Erdoğan, Ragıp Zarakolu, Filiz Koçali, Eren Keskin, Zana Kaya, İnan Kızılkaya, Kemal Sancılı and Bilge Oykut Contepe stand trial in the case against the newspaper.

Özgür Gündem Chief Editor İnan Kızılkaya and Publisher Kemal Sancılı, both of whom are jailed, attended the hearing, in addition to defendants Eren Keskin, Necmiye Alpay and Aslı Erdoğan, as well as foreign delegations and representatives from embassies of Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands.

The hearing started with the defence of Kemal Sancılı, who made clear that he puts his signature under each and every news printed in the newspaper and demanded to be released.

Another jailed defendant İnan Kızılkaya said: “I am a journalist, I received journalistic education, in which we were taught to ask, and this is what we have done indeed. We are praticing journalism. This case is a shame of Turkey. I am held under strict isolation. But all I have done is journalism. Journalism is not a crime. Freedom to all journalists”.

Following the statements of defence, the court board lifted the international travel ban on columnists Aslı Erdog-ğan and Necmiye Alpay, and the judicial control on Eren Keskin, and ruled continuation of imprisonment for İnan Kızılkaya and Kemal Sancılı.

The hearing was adjourned to October 31st.