Court rules for continuation of arrest of Doğan Group’s Barbaros Muratoğlu

ISTANBUL

An Istanbul court has ruled for the continuation of the arrest of Doğan Group Ankara Administrative Representative Barbaros Muratoğlu, who was arrested on Dec. 15, 2016 on charges of “helping an armed terrorist organization.”

The Istanbul 13th Heavy Penal Court issued the ruling after prosecutor İlkay Özcan requested for a file regarding other suspects to be investigated. 

Özcan was assigned in place of prosecutor Ömer Karakaya, who previously asked for Muratoğlu’s release twice, due to Karakaya being away on leave. 

The Doğan Group is a conglomerate company operating in the energy, media, trade, insurance and tourism industries, and owns the Hürriyet newspaper as well as the Hürriyet Daily News. 

Muratoğlu, along with his lawyers Köksal Bayraktar, Şehnaz Yüzer and Ahmet Çörtoğlu, attended the hearing on May 16.

During the hearing, Özcan said the 2017/24854 numbered file of the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor’s Office, which concerns an investigation into other suspects after the indictment on Muratoğlu was prepared, is related to the current case and thus the results of the former case should be requested from the prosecutor’s office, as well as a copy of the indictment if it is ready. 

In addition, Özcan demanded the continuation of Muratoğlu’s arrest. 

Speaking after the prosecutor expressed his views, Muratoğlu said “the nightmare doesn’t end.” 

“I’ve been arrested for nearly six months. We are in a nightmare with my family and relatives. The nightmare doesn’t end. I’m deprived of my fatherhood, my role as a husband, my job and my friends. I’m innocent. It has been revealed that all the allegations against me are untrue,” Muratoğlu told the court. 

Bayraktar also said Muratoğlu was being held under arrest “for nothing.”

“In situations like these, the prosecution needs to present an opinion regarding the continuation of arrest based on concrete justifications ... But my client has been under arrest for six months over nothing. He has been in jail torturously. It’s unnecessary to investigate whether the file mentioned by the prosecution is related to this case. No evidence has entered the file for 180 days,” he said. 

The court ruled for the continuation of arrest of Muratoğlu and 2017/24854 numbered investigation file to be asked from the prosecutor’s office.