9-page indictment written in 77 days: Ümit Özdağ appears in court today

Victory Party Chairman Ümit Özdağ will appear before a judge today at 10:30 AM in the courtroom at Istanbul's Silivri Prison for the first hearing of the case in which he is being held on charges of "publicly inciting the people to hatred and hostility."

Ümit Özdağ is in court today… His mother Gönül Özdağ: ‘Despite the fatigue of my age…’

9-PAGE INDICTMENT WRITTEN IN 77 DAYS

The indictment, which seeks a prison sentence of 7 years, 10 months, and 15 days for Özdağ, included the following statements:

“It is decided that he be punished in accordance with articles 216/1, 218/1, and 43 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) for the crime of Publicly Inciting the People to Hatred and Hostility through Press and Publication in a Chain Manner, which corresponds to his actions.”

Özdağ was detained in Ankara and brought to Istanbul as part of an investigation launched after his remarks on January 19 in Antalya regarding AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: “No Crusade in the last thousand years has caused as much damage to the Turkish nation and the Turkish state as Erdoğan and the AKP have.”

Taken to the Istanbul Courthouse, Özdağ was arrested on charges of “publicly inciting the people to hatred and hostility.” Özdağ’s file was separated on February 17.

Özdağ, who is being tried for up to 4 years and 8 months in prison on charges of “insulting the President,” appeared in court on April 29 for the first hearing of that case, but the trial was adjourned.

Özdağ, who is being held at Silivri Prison, had made the following call before the hearing:

“All of Turkey knows that the real reason I am in Silivri Prison is my opposition to the negotiations held with Öcalan and the PKK. I invite everyone who can to attend my hearing, with the hope of living in a Turkey where the law is not applied differently to the government and the opposition.”

News Source: 12punto