Court Postpones Trial Against Gülen

An Ankara State Security Court (DGM) postponed the verdict in a trial against Islamic leader Fethullah Gülen and ruled that he would face the same accusations of forming an illegal organization only if he committed the same crime again in the next five years.

Gülen, currently in the United States for medical treatment, was facing accusations of "forming an illegal organization to replace the constitutional order with a state based on Islamic rules" and prosecutors were seeking up to ten years in prison.

The Ankara State Security Court No.2 ruled to delay the verdict in the latest hearing of the trial on Monday. The decision was based on Law 4616, which stipulates conditions for conditional release and postponement of trials.

The trial will be cancelled after five years, provided that Gülen does not commit the same or a similar crime throughout this period.

Court judges voted unanimously to postpone charges against Gülen, said the court's presiding judge Huseyin Eken.

Gülen's lawyers, on the other hand, were not happy with the decision, saying it was not "proper". They applied to the court to review its verdict, saying the trial should continue.

They previously argued that the charges were unfounded and demanded his acquittal. 2003-11-03 00:00:00