On July 28, IPI and other free expression groups, welcomed the ruling by a court in Istanbul, freeing seven of 11 journalists held nearly nine months in a criminal case targeting independent daily Cumhuriyet. The court granted the release of attorneys Bülent Utku and Mustafa Kemal Güngör, cartoonist Musa Kart, literary supplement editor Turhan Günay, readers representative and columnist Güray Öz, columnist Hakan Karasinir and printing administrator Önder Çelik. But Editor-in-Chief Murat Sabuncu, publications consultant and columnist Kadri Gürsel, CEO Akın Atalay and reporter Ahmet Şık will still be held in prison. Steven M. Ellis, IPI Director of Advocacy and Communications stated that “The decision to continue punishing these defendants without conviction in pre-trial detention is absolutely unjust and confirms our opinion that this is a politically motivated effort to criminalize journalism,” Ellis also commented that the decision was “not terribly surprising”, he nonetheless described it as a “tremendous disappointment that these brave journalists and executives will be sent back to prison, instead of home to their families where they belong”. On this same day, the group of international observers issued a full statement on the trial, which you can find here: https://ipi.media/turkey-court-orders-seven-cumhuriyet-journalists-freed/ IPI will continue to monitor the trial and events in Turkey. We promise to keep you updated. For additional information please visit our website: ipi.media or follow us on twitter: @globalfreemedia If you want to support IPI in the fight for a free media, please donate to our Press Freedom Fund: https://ipi.media/support-us/