Journalist and writer Ahmet Altan, who was released on probation on November 4 after serving 1,138 days in prison, has been arrested again.

 

Referred from the directorate of security to the İstanbul 27th Heavy Penal Court today (November 13), Altan has been arrested and sent to prison.

 

Put on retrial in the wake of a verdict of reversal given by the Court of Cassation, Ahmet Altan was sentenced to 10 years, 6 months in prison on charge of "knowingly aiding a terrorist organization as a non-member." Considering the time that he had already served in prison, the court ruled for his arrest and he was released from prison on November 4.

 

After Ahmet Altan was taken into custody yesterday evening, his attorney Figen Çalıkuşu lodged an objection against the arrest warrant at the İstanbul 28th Heavy Penal Court, the upper count.

 

Indicating that the İstanbul 26th Heavy Penal Court ruled for the release of Altan not in an interlocutory ruling, but in a judgement, Çalıkuşu said, "The file was examined by the Court of Cassation. The İstanbul 27th Heavy Penal Court does not have the authority to give a verdict of arrest." Accordingly, she requested that the arrest warrant against Altan be lifted