Probe opened into forgery of digital evidence in Balyoz case

A probe has been opened into allegations of forgery in digital data, which formed the key evidence in the alleged coup plot case "Balyoz" (Sledgehammer).

The Anatolian Public Prosecutor's Office opened the probe into "forgery" claims on digital data used as evidence in the Balyoz case, soon after a court stated in its detailed ruling on the case that most of the main evidence was fake.

The probe has been opened by prosecutor Halil ?brahim Ba?er upon a complaint from the Anadolu 4th Court of Serious Crimes.

The court ruled that because the digital data was provided in Istanbul's Be?ikta? district, the probe should be sent to the Istanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office. 

On March 31, the Anatolian 4th High Criminal Court acquitted all 236 suspects after the prosecutor argued that digital data in the files submitted as evidence in the case was "fake" and did not constitute evidence.

In its detailed ruling issued on May 6, the court described how the incriminating data in CDs, hard disks and flash drives could have been digitally faked and even physically planted. 

"It is determined with certainty that CDs No. 11 and 17 were created as fakes. Strong suspicion has also risen about the authenticity of all the other digital evidence that laid the ground for the conviction of the suspects," the detailed ruling stated.