Seven journalists and executives from daily Cumhuriyet were released from İstanbul’s Silivri prison late on July 28 after a local court ordered their release in the case which they had been tried on terror charges. The court freed seven until the next hearing on "judicial probation", meaning they cannot leave the country and must report regularly to a police station.
Upon being released from prison, Kart told reporters they had been imprisoned for nine months for "unjust, lawless, baseless allegations." He said the indictment would collapse with their release.
"I thought I'd be very happy at the moment of my release," the 63-year-old cartoonist said. "Unfortunately, four of our friends are still in Silivri prison. I cannot suit an image that shows journalists in prison to this country. I hope that we will also take our four friends from Silivri and create the most beautiful picture together,” Kart added.
Cumhuriyet's editor-in-chief Murat Sabuncu, columnist Kadri Gürsel and chairman Akın Atalay, investigative journalist Ahmet Şık remain behind bars.
A total of 19 defendants went on trial Monday for allegedly aiding several outlawed organizations, including the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the ultra-left Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) and Fethullah Gülen's network, one of the masterminds of the last year's coup attempt.
