Court grants 'discretionary reduction' to Rıdvan Bulunmaz, who killed his wife! 'If we had wanted to kill her, we would have done it in a secluded corner(!)'

SİNEM NAZLI DEMİR

Pınar Bulunmaz lost her life after being wounded by a firearm following an argument with her husband, Rıdvan Bulunmaz, inside a vehicle in the Siverek district of Şanlıurfa on February 22, 2024. Following the incident, Rıdvan Bulunmaz was arrested but released three months later.

DISCRETIONARY REDUCTION GRANTED TO RIDVAN BULUNMAZ, WHO KILLED PINAR

In the prepared indictment, it was requested that Rıdvan Bulunmaz be sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for the crime of "intentional killing of a spouse." In the first hearing held on February 12, 2025, security camera footage and forensic reports contradicted Rıdvan Bulunmaz's claim of suicide. After a struggle lasting approximately 25 months, 31-year-old Rıdvan Bulunmaz was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for the crime of "intentional killing of a female spouse." The court applied a discretionary reduction, citing the defendant's lack of a prior criminal record, and reduced the sentence to life imprisonment.

"THE DEFENDANT SPENT 16 OF THE 25 MONTHS WITHOUT BEING IN CUSTODY"

Speaking to 12punto, Pınar's brother, Erdal Sevim, described the struggle they have been waging for months and his thoughts on the court's reduction decision:

"We were not expecting a discretionary reduction; we were surprised when we heard this decision. There is a 25-month struggle, and the defendant spent 16 months of this 25-month period without being in custody. The exact equivalent of the committed murder in the penal code is an aggravated life sentence. The demeanor of those who commit this act in courtrooms should not overshadow the act itself. The behavior of criminals in court should not suppress the crime they committed. Throughout the court process, a suicide narrative was constructed from the very beginning, and they have continued to tell the same scenario for 25 months. The defendant gave contradictory statements, and this caused the case to last for 2 years. Considering all of this, we will submit our necessary appeals and make the required requests for the sentence to be converted back to an aggravated life sentence."

"THEY CONTINUE TO SLANDER PINAR"

Stating that the granted reduction has a reflection in society and encourages criminals, Erdal Sevim said that criminals should receive the punishment they deserve:

There is a mindset of "he did it for the first time, let's overlook it." However, these decisions send a message to society that "deserved punishments are not being given." For this reason, such reductions should be completely abandoned. A good lesson could have been taught to those who think "I can do whatever I want," but it was not.

Recounting the events on the day of the verdict hearing, Pınar's brother, Erdal Sevim, expressed that Rıdvan Bulunmaz's relatives reacted to the decision:

"In the final hearing, Rıdvan Bulunmaz continued to claim that Pınar committed suicide and that he tried to prevent her. His lawyers continued their defense in the same manner. In one of the previous hearings, one of Rıdvan Bulunmaz's lawyers had said in court, 'if we had wanted to kill her, we would have done it in a secluded corner.' We are talking about a group that can easily express this in court. We were not expecting remorse from such a family and environment anyway. After the verdict was announced, the opposing side complained to the court, saying 'what kind of decision is this?' They even turned to the presiding judge and made some remarks. For this reason, they were removed from the courtroom. The slander of the opposing side still continues. They have nothing in their hands, and they continue to slander Pınar, who cannot express herself."

"OUR STRUGGLE IS NOT OVER, WE NEED SUPPORT"

Stating that the struggle is not over and that a longer process might be awaiting them, Sevim called on the public to support Pınar's case:

"The punishment for this crime is not this; my sister is not alive right now. However, this criminal is still continuing his life. Our struggle is not over; we are waiting for the response from the higher courts for our appeals. A much longer process may be awaiting us. We still need support. Today, tomorrow, and the day after, Pınar needs her voice to be heard. We need everyone who can support us on this path."