New prosecutors assigned to Dündar, Gül case ahead of first hearing

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has assigned a new prosecutor to the controversial case of daily Cumhuriyet editor-in-chief Can Dündar and Ankara bureau chief Erdem Gül, two days before its first hearing on March 25 after the duo's release upon a Constitutional Court decision. 

On March 23, the office assigned prosecutor Evliya Çal??kan, who was working as a prosecutor at the Terror and Organized Crimes Bureau, to the 14th Court of Serious Crimes as a trial prosecutor in the case in which Dündar and Gül are charged with espionage and terrorism. 

Prosecutor Lütfi Karabacak has also been assigned to the 14th Court of Serious Crimes as the trial prosecutor of the court's second committee, along with Judges Mehmet Çelik, Ferhat Korkmaz and Ömer Karagöl, who will be part of the judge comittee. Bak?rköy 2nd Peace Court Justice Bülent Dalk?ran will be head judge of the committee.

Dündar and Gül, who were released pending trial on Feb. 26 after a decision by the Constitutional Court, are charged with espionage and threatening state security in stories published in Cumhuriyet about National Intelligence Agency (M?T) trucks allegedly transporting weapons to unknown groups in Syria.

The court said the journalists' 92-day imprisonment over charges of terrorism was a "violation of rights."
President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) have criticized the top court for "exceeding its jurisdiction."

The journalists' lawyers insist that the court cannot rule on their arrest mainly due to the previous top court decision. 

The prosecutor's office added a new document to the case in support of the charges against Dündar.

According to the document sent to the court on March...