The Arrested Lawyers

The Turkish Constitutional Court's decisions on journalists Şahin Alpay & Mehmet Altan are binding on lower courts. The trial courts do NOT have the authority to consider, dismiss or reject the Constitutional Court's decisions. They can only decide for their "immediate release".

It is clear from the Turkish Constitutional Court's decisions on journalists Şahin Alpay & Mehmet Altan that there is no strong or compelling evidence to detain them and their writings constitute journalistic activity within the limits of freedom of expression.

As predicted the journalists Şahin Alpay and Mehmet Altan were NOT released today despite the ruling of the Constitutional Court. Did the Court go beyond the limits set by the constitution and the laws as suggested by the Deputy Prime Minister? Absolutely not in my view.

The Istanbul 13th Criminal Assize Court rejected for the 2nd time Şahin Alpay's release last night. It looks like the Constitutional Court's decisions will be ignored by the trial courts. All we needed was a Constitutional crisis and we now have it.