BREAKING NEWS: Deniz Yücel released

lupo (58)in #news • 6 years ago

The German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yücel is released from custody in Turkey. Yücel has been in prison for more than a year. The now presented indictment demands a prison sentence of 18 years.

The German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yücel is released from turkish custody according to his lawyer. He is not free yet, but his release has been decided.

The Foreign Office confirmed the information. A spokesman said in Berlin that they still have to wait whats gonna happen in the next hours. He thanked the Turkish judiciary and said that Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel (SPD) had "made an intensive effort in the last few days to contribute to a solution".

The background of the release is apparently that the prosecutor has now brought an indictment against Yücel. In the indictment, the agency is demanding 18 years in prison, according to Anadolu news agency. The court accepted the indictment and then released Yücel from pre-trial detention.

According to information of the "Welt" editorial there is apparently no exit lock for Yücel. "We have no indication that he has to stay in the country," said "Welt" editor-in-chief Ulf Poschardt in the livestream of the newspaper. He therefore assumes that he will soon be welcomed in freedom. The federal government also assumes that Yücel is allowed to leave. Aside the Munich Security Conference, Foreign Minister Gabriel said when asked whether Yücel was allowed to leave, that was currently his information.

Earlier, Gabriel announced that he was delighted with the decision of the Turkish judiciary: "And I am even more pleased for Deniz Yücel and his family, which is a good day for all of us."
He had many discussions in recent days with the Turkish government to speed up the process, said Gabriel. "These included two meetings with Turkish President Erdogan." The government in Ankara has always insisted that it would not have any political influence on the court decision. The independence of the court decision had been a central concern in all discussions, said Gabriel.

The case was most recently the biggest issue in relation to Turkey. Yücel was imprisoned without charge in Turkey for a year. Subsequently, he was remanded for terror charges. Recently, however, movement came into the case.
Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) said on Thursday following a meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim that she had warned Yildirim "that this case has a special urgency for us".

Before his visit to Germany, Yildirim had told the ARD that he hoped for a speedy release of Yücel. In October, a Turkish court ordered the release of the German human rights activist Peter Steudtner and did not issue an exit ban. He was able to return to Germany, although the trial continues against him. Steudtner's release - and that of the translator Mesale Tolu - has led to a slight relaxation of the German-Turkish relationship.