a prison sentence of five years and included matters additional to exploiting religion for political purposes, such as, "supporting religious education", "supporting Islamic dress and conduct for women", and "attempting to secure personal prestige and influence." Three Istanbul lawyers undertook Bediuzzaman's defence for the trial. Following Bediuzzaman's reply, the Court was adjourned till 19 February at 2 o'clock.
In addition to this trial, Bediuzzaman was further questioned for a part of A Guide for Youth which appeared in the magazine Volkan, but since the work had been acquitted by Denizli Court in 1943, in this case the decision was taken that retrial was not permissible.
The news had got around by 19 February and from an early hour hundreds of well-wishers and Bediuzzaman's students started to fill the Court Building in order to see Bediuzzaman and follow the proceedings. By the time Bediuzzaman and the lawyers and judges arrived the crowd was so dense inside the court that in the courtroom itself, the spectators had occupied even the space round the judges' bench, while outside the building the buses could not pass for the throng, and were re-routed. In the Court the police seemed incapable of doing anything, neither was any attention paid to the judge, who ordered the crowd out. It was not till at the judge s request, Bediuzzaman turned and made a sign that the crowd moved back out of the room and the trial could begin.
The statements of the printer who had printed A Guide for Youth and the police were heard, then Bediuzzaman's objections to the `Experts' Report. The defence lawyers criticized it in severe terms and at length. Then, on Bediuzzaman requesting permission to perform the afternoon prayers as the time was growing short, the Court was adjourned till 5 March. Bediuzzaman left amid cheers and applause and was driven to the Sultan Ahmed Mosque.
When it came to 5 March the police were out in force to prevent