Eight defendants in the trial against Turkey’s secular Cumhuriyet newspaper face an imminent return to prison after an appeals confirmation of their jail sentences was officially communicated to Turkey’s National Judicial Informatics System.

“After spending months in pre-trial detention and after being convicted in what was essentially a show trial, eight of the defendants in Turkey’s Cumhuriyet trial now stand to be deprived of their freedom again”, International Press Institute (IPI) Advocacy Director Ravi R. Prasad said. “This is not justice, but an arbitrary punishment for critical journalism. None of these journalists belong in prison. They must remain free and authorities must ensure that they can appeal their sentences further to the Supreme Court.”