Halil Ibrahim Balta, Zaman, Yarina Bakis
Medium:Print
Charge:Anti-State
Imprisoned:July 25, 2016

Police in Istanbul on July 25, 2016, detained Halil Ibrahim Balta-a business reporter for the daily newspaper Yarina Bakis who previously worked with the shuttered daily newspaper Zaman-as part of a sweeping purge of suspected followers of exiled preacher Fethullah Gülen. The Turkish government accuses Gülen of maintaining a terrorist organization and "parallel state structure" (FETÖ/PDY, as the government calls it) within Turkey that it alleges masterminded a failed July 15, 2016, military coup. Istanbul's 10th Court of Penal Peace on August 3, 2016, ordered Balta jailed pending trial on the charge of "willingly and knowingly aiding an armed terrorist organization."

According to the record of Balta's arraignment hearing, which CPJ has reviewed, Balta denied the accusation, saying that he had no ties to the Gülenist movement, and that he had turned himself in to police upon learning there was a warrant for his arrest.

According to the court document, Prosecutors questioned Balta about his work for Zaman. Balta said he worked for the newspaper for 23 years, but moved to Yarina Bakis after a court in March 2016 ordered the government to appoint trustees to manage Feza Media Group, which published Zaman, saying the company had links to the Gülenist network. The government then used emergency powers it assumed after the failed coup attempt to order the newspaper closed by decree on July 27, 2016.

Prosecutors also asked the journalist about his activity on Twitter, the court documents recorded, without indicating what, if any, specific social media activity concerned the prosecutors. Balta replied that he had no intent to disseminate propaganda for a banned organization and that he had practiced only journalism at Zaman.

The court ordered Balta jailed pending trial on the basis that his employment at Zaman and Yarina Bakis was sufficient evidence for a "reasonable suspicion" that he "willingly and knowingly aided" FETÖ/PDY, according to the record of the hearing.

As of late 2016, Balta was jailed in Istanbul, and no date had been set for his trial.

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