5.  At the material time the applicants were the owners, executive directors, editors-in-chief, news directors and journalists of two weekly newspapers published in Turkey: Yedinci Gün and Toplumsal Demokrasi. The publication of these newspapers was suspended pursuant to section 6(5) of Law no. 3713 (the Prevention of Terrorism Act) by the Istanbul Assize Court on 12 and 5 January 2008, respectively, for a period of one month, on account of various news reports and articles. The impugned publications were mainly deemed to be propaganda in favour of a terrorist organisation, the PKK/KONGRA-GEL[1], and constituted an approval of crimes committed by that organisation and its members. 6.  Neither the applicants nor their representative participated in these ex parte procedures, and their written objections to the suspension orders were dismissed. Consequently, the orders were executed. 7.  The applicants, Ali Turgay and Hüseyin Aykol, the owner and the editor-in-chief, respectively, of Yedinci Gün, were prosecuted under sections 6(2) and 7(2) of Law no. 3713, as well as Articles 215 and 218 of the Criminal Code, for disseminating propaganda in favour of and praising crimes committed by the aforementioned organisation and its members, on account of various articles published in the said newspaper (case no. 2008/30). 8.  The applicant, Hüseyin Bektaş, the owner of Toplumsal Demokrasi, was similarly prosecuted under sections 6(2) and 7(2) of Law no. 3713 and Article 215 of the Criminal Code (case no. 2008/14). 9.  According to the information in the case file, these criminal proceedings are still pending at first instance.