4.  The applicants, who were born in 1984, 1987 and 1988 respectively, live in İstanbul.
5.  On 23 August 2007 the applicants were arrested and taken into custody on suspicion of membership of a terrorist organisation.
6.  On the same day, the judge at the İstanbul Assize Court decided to restrict access to the investigation file, under Article 153 § 2 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (the “CCP”), Law no. 5271. The judge also decided to delay the second and third applicants’ right of access to their lawyer for twenty-four hours pursuant to section 10 of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (Law no. 3713), which was in force at the material time.
7.  On 26 August 2007 the applicants were questioned by police officers from the Anti-Terror Branch of the İstanbul Security Directorate, in the presence of their lawyer. They used their right to remain silent.
8.  On the same day, the applicants were also interrogated by the public prosecutor, in the presence of their lawyer. They were mainly questioned about certain records of telephone conversations and the incident of the arson of vehicles during an illegal demonstration. The prosecutor read out the transcripts of the intercepted conversations to the applicants. The applicants did not remember that they had had these conversations but claimed that these conversations did not prove that they had committed the offences with which they were charged with, or that they attended the illegal demonstration on behalf of a terrorist organisation.
9.  On 26 August 2007, after having taken the applicants’ statements, the judge at the 10th Chamber of the İstanbul Assize Court ordered their pre‑trial detention.
10.  On 31 August 2008 the applicants’ lawyer filed an objection against the decision of 26 August 2007 ordering the applicants’ detention, and requested their release. On the same day, the 10th Chamber of the İstanbul Assize Court, relying on the public prosecutor’s written opinion, which had not been communicated to the applicants or their representative, dismissed the objection without holding a hearing.
11.  On 3 December 2007 the İstanbul public prosecutor filed a bill of indictment against the applicants, accusing them, inter alia, of membership of a terrorist organisation, illegal possession of explosives and causing damage to public property.
12.  On 17 December 2007 the İstanbul Assize Court accepted the indictment.
13.  On 27 December 2007 the İstanbul Assize Court held a preparatory hearing and dismissed the applicants’ requests for release.
14.  On 18 April 2008 and 22 July 2008 the court held further hearings, in which the applicants and their lawyer were present. At the end of those hearings, the court ordered the continuation of the applicants’ detention.
15.  At the end of the third hearing, held on 20 November 2008, the court prolonged the applicants’ detentions. The applicants were present at this hearing. Subsequently, they filed an objection against this decision. On 28 November 2008 the 11th Chamber of the İstanbul Assize Court dismissed the objection, without holding an oral hearing and based on the written opinions of the public prosecutor, which had not been communicated to the applicants or their representative.
16.  On 19 December 2008 the court ex officio examined the applicants’ detention on remand on the basis of the case-file and decided to extend it.
17.  At the hearings held on 19 March 2009 and 16 July 2009, in which the applicants were present, the trial court ordered the continuation of the applicants’ detention on remand.
18.  On 24 November 2009, 30 March 2010 and 24 May 2012, respectively, the applicants were released from detention on remand.
19.  On 1 October 2013 the İstanbul Assize Court acquitted the second applicant of the charges against him. The court convicted the first and the third applicants and sentenced them to imprisonment. The judgment in concerning the acquittal of the second applicant became final, as there was no appeal against it.
20.  On 1 July 2016 the Court of Cassation quashed the judgment of the first instance court in so far as it concerned the convictions of the first and third applicants. Accordingly, the case file was remitted to the first instance court.
21.  According to the latest information in the case file, the criminal proceedings against the first and third applicants are still pending before the İstanbul Assize Court.