Supreme Court overturns sentences in Hendek explosion case

A new development has occurred regarding the explosion that took place on July 3, 2020, at the Büyük Coşkunlar Fireworks Factory in the Hendek district of Sakarya. In the case concerning the disaster, which resulted in the deaths of 7 workers and left 127 people injured, the Supreme Court has overturned the verdict and sent the file to the 1st High Criminal Court. 

The Supreme Court overturned the decision in the case where 7 defendants had been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 6 years and 8 months to 16 years and 3 months. 

According to a report by Birgün, in the case where the court had evaluated the actions of defendant Yaşar Coşkun as "causing death by conscious negligence," the Supreme Court ruled that the defendant should be punished for the crime of "causing death by probable intent" due to his continuation of irregular operations such as gunpowder production and his failure to take necessary safety precautions, thereby endangering the workers.

The Supreme Court also stated that the other defendants, Asiye Angın, Ahmet Çağırıcı, Erşan Öztürk, and Aslı Düzgün, who were tried for the crime of "causing death by simple negligence," should instead be tried for the crime of "causing death by conscious negligence."

The defendants were accused of turning a blind eye to a lack of safety and a work order that put the lives of workers at risk. The file has been sent to the Sakarya 1st High Criminal Court for re-examination and to correct the specified errors.