The original prosecutor declared the case to be outside his remit and referred it to the anti-terrorism prosecutor. During Friday's hearing the suspects were asked questions such as, “Do you know the RedHack founder Manyak?”, “What is your position within the organization?”, “From whom did you receive your orders?” and “What was your intention in trying to expand the Gezi Park protests and cause crowds to pour out into the streets during those protests?”
The fourteen included the Turkish actor Baris Atay, who had been a particularly vocal protester over the Gezi Park demonstrations that started earlier this year. The Turkish government plans to redevelop the park into a shopping mall. Subsequent public protests in Taksim Square led to police action which escalated into riots. The protest has since expanded into wider issues including freedom of expression and assembly, and secularism. RedHack supports this movement and also seeks to expose corruption within the government.
Many of its hacks are intended to do this. The most recent posting on the RedHack website is titled, "Latest leaks about Egemen Bagis-Turkey’s Minister for EU Affairs & Chief Negotiator." It includes links to stolen documents, with commentaries such as, "In another document, US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone send an e-mail to Egemen Bagis. He congratulates him for staying out on the issue of his remarks he made regarding Ergenekon and Balyoz case after the AKP spokesperson Huseyin Celik have criticised the US Ambassador for his remarks. Who does Egemen Bagis work for? Turkey or US? Lets wait for him to answer."
Allegedly, the leader of RedHack, Manyak (Maniac), and another person accused of being the local branch representative of Anonymous were among the fourteen detained. Four were among the ten alleged members of RedHack arrested in 2012 and held for nine months. RedHack claimed at the time that none were members of the group and had been arrested by the government to frighten RedHack supporters.
After questioning, Atay was the first to be released. His mother told the press that he was accused of being RedHack's spokesperson – which they both denied, saying that he did not know the other detainees. While in detention he was visited by the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputies Hüseyin Aygün and Ilhan Cihaner. The Daily News quotes Aygün, “Baris rejects charges of having any link with RedHack; he says he doesn’t have time to spend on the Internet, and that’s why he can follow social media only on his mobile phone. He says that detentions are not legal, but political."
At first, just nine of the suspects were set free, but by the end of the day all fourteen had been released.