PROCEDURE

The case originated in an application (no. 7945/05) against the Republic of Turkey lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) by two Turkish nationals, Mr Özgür Uyanık and Mr Ozan Kabadayı (“the applicants”), on 8 February 2005. The applicants were detained on remand in Kartal Prison, İstanbul, when they lodged the case.

On 27 March 2008 the Court declared the application partly inadmissible and decided to communicate to the Government the applicants’ complaints concerning the length of their detention and the length of the criminal proceedings brought against them. It also decided to examine the merits of the application at the same time as its admissibility (Article 29 § 3).

The Turkish Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent. On 8 July 2008 the Government submitted their observations which were sent to Mr. E. Olcaytu, the applicants’ lawyer practicing in Istanbul, who was requested to submit his replies to the Government’s observations and just satisfaction claims. The Registry did not receive a reply.

By a letter dated 23 February 2009, Mr V. Gültaş, a lawyer practising in Izmir, informed the Court that Mr Olcaytu no longer practised law and he was the new representative. Upon the Registry’s subsequent request, Mr Gültaş presented a power of attorney in respect of the first applicant. Consequently, on 31 March 2009, the Registry sent the case file to Mr Gültaş (by fax and mail) and to the second applicant in Kartal Prison, setting a new time limit for their replies to the Government’s observations and just satisfaction claims. The Registry has not received a reply from either the first applicant’s new representative or the second applicant.

THE FACTS

On 16 May 1996 the applicants were arrested and taken into police custody by officers of the İstanbul security police in connection with an investigation into an illegal organisation. On 30 May 1996 the applicants were brought before the İstanbul public prosecutor and the investigating judge respectively, who remanded the applicants in custody.

By an indictment dated 27 June 1996, the public prosecutor at the İstanbul State Security Court initiated criminal proceedings against the applicants and a number of others, accusing them, inter alia, of membership of an illegal armed organisation and of taking part in its activities.

On 4 June 2003 the İstanbul State Security Court sentenced the applicants to life imprisonment, pursuant to Article 146 § 1 of the Criminal Code. On 20 January 2004 the Court of Cassation quashed the judgment of the first-instance court and remitted the case. State Security Courts were abolished by constitutional amendments introduced on 7 May 2004. Subsequently, the applicants’ case was resumed before the 12th Assize Court of İstanbul.

Referring to recent amendments in domestic law, on 27 December 2004 the applicants requested to be released pending trial. Relying on the accusations against the applicants, the length of their detention and the content of the case file, the 12th Assize Court of İstanbul refused the applicants’ request on 29 December 2004. The applicants appealed. On 18 January 2005 the 13th Assize Court of İstanbul dismissed their appeal without further reasoning.

On 1 February 2006 the applicants were released pending trial.

On 30 April 2008 the 12th Assize Court of İstanbul sentenced the applicants as charged. According to the information in the case file, as submitted by the parties, the proceedings are pending before the Court of Cassation.
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e1
001-94113_a1_em1
CODE
DIRECT
7945/05
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-94113_a1_e2
001-94113_a1_em2
ORG
NO_MASK
Republic of Turkey
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e3
001-94113_a1_em3
DEM
NO_MASK
Turkish
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e4
001-94113_a1_em4
PERSON
DIRECT
Mr Özgür Uyanık
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e5
001-94113_a1_em5
PERSON
QUASI
Mr Ozan Kabadayı
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e6
001-94113_a1_em6
DATETIME
QUASI
8 February 2005
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-94113_a1_e7
001-94113_a1_em7
ORG
QUASI
Kartal Prison
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-94113_a1_e8
001-94113_a1_em8
LOC
NO_MASK
İstanbul
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e9
001-94113_a1_em9
DATETIME
QUASI
27 March 2008
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e10
001-94113_a1_em10
ORG
NO_MASK
Turkish Government
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e11
001-94113_a1_em11
DATETIME
QUASI
8 July 2008
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e12
001-94113_a1_em12
PERSON
QUASI
Mr. E. Olcaytu
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e13
001-94113_a1_em13
LOC
NO_MASK
Istanbul
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e14
001-94113_a1_em14
DATETIME
QUASI
23 February 2009
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-94113_a1_e15
001-94113_a1_em15
PERSON
QUASI
Mr V. Gültaş
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-94113_a1_e16
001-94113_a1_em16
LOC
NO_MASK
Izmir
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e17
001-94113_a1_em17
PERSON
QUASI
Mr Olcaytu
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e15
001-94113_a1_em18
PERSON
QUASI
001-94113_a1_em15
Mr Gültaş
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e18
001-94113_a1_em19
DATETIME
QUASI
31 March 2009
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e15
001-94113_a1_em20
PERSON
QUASI
Mr Gültaş
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
correct
001-94113_a1_e7
001-94113_a1_em21
ORG
QUASI
Kartal Prison
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e19
001-94113_a1_em22
DATETIME
QUASI
16 May 1996
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-94113_a1_e20
001-94113_a1_em23
ORG
NO_MASK
İstanbul security police
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e21
001-94113_a1_em24
DATETIME
QUASI
30 May 1996
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-94113_a1_e22
001-94113_a1_em25
ORG
NO_MASK
İstanbul public prosecutor
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e23
001-94113_a1_em26
DATETIME
QUASI
27 June 1996
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e24
001-94113_a1_em27
ORG
NO_MASK
İstanbul State Security Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e25
001-94113_a1_em28
DATETIME
QUASI
4 June 2003
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e24
001-94113_a1_em29
ORG
NO_MASK
İstanbul State Security Court
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-94113_a1_e26
001-94113_a1_em30
QUANTITY
QUASI
life imprisonment
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e27
001-94113_a1_em31
DATETIME
QUASI
20 January 2004
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e28
001-94113_a1_em32
ORG
NO_MASK
Court of Cassation
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e29
001-94113_a1_em33
ORG
NO_MASK
State Security Courts
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e30
001-94113_a1_em34
DATETIME
QUASI
7 May 2004
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-94113_a1_e31
001-94113_a1_em35
ORG
NO_MASK
12th Assize Court of İstanbul
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e32
001-94113_a1_em36
DATETIME
QUASI
27 December 2004
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e31
001-94113_a1_em37
ORG
NO_MASK
12th Assize Court of İstanbul
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e33
001-94113_a1_em38
DATETIME
QUASI
29 December 2004
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e34
001-94113_a1_em39
DATETIME
QUASI
18 January 2005
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
insert
001-94113_a1_e35
001-94113_a1_em40
ORG
NO_MASK
13th Assize Court of İstanbul
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e36
001-94113_a1_em41
DATETIME
QUASI
1 February 2006
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e37
001-94113_a1_em42
DATETIME
QUASI
30 April 2008
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e31
001-94113_a1_em43
ORG
NO_MASK
12th Assize Court of İstanbul
NOT_CONFIDENTIAL
check
001-94113_a1_e28
001-94113_a1_em44
ORG
NO_MASK
Court of Cassation
Özgür Uyanık
TUR
CHAMBER
Task: Annotate the document to anonymise the following person: Özgür Uyanık