4.  The applicants were born in 1984 and 1985 respectively and live in İzmir. 5.  On 30 March 2004 the applicants quarrelled with S.C. As the quarrel turned into a fight, a certain M.C. intervened to stop them and he was stabbed by the second applicant. On 31 March 2004 the police took the statements of the parties, including the applicants. 6.  On 8 April 2004 the İzmir public prosecutor filed an indictment against the applicants with the İzmir Magistrates' Court for the alleged assault with a knife, occasioning actual bodily harm. He requested that the applicants be sentenced pursuant to Article 456 § 4 of the Criminal Code. The indictment was not served on the applicants. 7.  On 28 April 2004 the İzmir Magistrates' Court, without holding a hearing, issued a penal order and found the applicants guilty as charged. The court fined the applicants to 445,616,000 Turkish liras (TRL) (equivalent to 268 euros (EUR)) and TRL 594,154,000 (equivalent to EUR 357) respectively. In doing so, it relied on the “simplified procedure” stipulated in Article 386 of the Code of Criminal Procedure for relatively minor offences. 8.  On 15 July 2004 the İzmir Criminal Court dismissed the applicants' objection, without holding a hearing. 9.  On 6 December 2004 the first applicant paid TRL 618,000,000 (equivalent to EUR 330) including interests. The second applicant has not paid the fine.