The Court of Cassation upheld 7,5-year prison sentence handed to writer-journalist Mehmet Serhat Polatsoy for alleged “membership in an illegal organization”, meaning the PKK.

Polatsoy was detained at his workplace in Karaköprü district of Urfa. He was remanded in custody after the reading of the verdict at Urfa Courthouse and sent to Urfa T Type Closed Prison.

Background

Mehmet Serhat Polatsoy, Doğan Sayin, Mehmet Ekrem Polatsoy, Şahin Tanrıkulu, Ahmet Geçgel, Müslüm Halhallı and A. O. were charged with “disrupting the unity and integrity of the state”, “being a member of an illegal organization”, “unauthorized possession of dangerous substances” and “making propaganda for an illegal organization” on the grounds of a “sack of bombs” allegedly found on April 30, 2013 on the road of Şevran neighborhood in Suruç district of Urfa. The case was concluded in May 2022.

Urfa 2nd High Criminal Court sentenced Mehmet Serhat Polatsoy to 7 years and 6 months in prison for “membership in a terrorist organization”, 5 years 6 months and 20 days in prison for “unauthorized possession of dangerous substances” and 25 thousand TL fine. He was acquitted on the other two charges.  On the other hand, Mustafa Ekrem Polatsoy, Doğan Sayin, Şahin Tanrıkulu and Müslüm Halhallı were sentenced to 15 years each for “providing weapons to an illegal organization”, while Ahmet Geçgel and A. O. were acquitted on the mentioned charge.

Having their appeal rejected by the 4th Criminal Chamber of Antep Regional Court of Justice, lawyers for the defendants appealed the decision to the Court of Cassation. The 3rd Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation overturned the sentence handed to Mehmet Serhat Polatsoy for “unauthorized possession of dangerous substances” and upheld the verdicts on other charges.

Polatsoy's sentence was justified by a digital document on a USB stick found on a person outside during his detention. The text on the digital document was accepted as Polatsoy's “self-criticism report” and used as justification for the sentence.