New development in the Narin Güran murder case: Presiding Judge calls for the release of two individuals!

13-year-old Narin Güran went missing on August 21, 2024, in the rural Tavşantepe neighborhood of Diyarbakır's Bağlar district. Following days of searches, Narin's lifeless body was found in a sack in a creek bed 19 days after she went missing. The body had been covered with three stones weighing 30, 25, and 20 kilograms and hidden by bushes.

FAMILY AND NEIGHBOR TRIED AS SUSPECTS IN THE MURDER

As part of the investigation into the murder, Narin's mother Yüksel Güran, her brother Enes Güran, her uncle Salim Güran, and their neighbor Nevzat Bahtiyar were taken into custody. DNA and hair samples belonging to Narin were identified in Salim Güran's vehicle. The neighbor, Nevzat Bahtiyar, confessed to carrying the body to the creek bed.

In the case opened at the Diyarbakır 8th High Criminal Court, the mother, uncle, and brother were sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for "intentional killing of a child in complicity," while Nevzat Bahtiyar was sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in prison for "destroying, concealing, or altering evidence of a crime."

SENTENCES UPHELD BY MAJORITY VOTE IN APPEALS COURT

The defendants and their lawyers appealed the sentences. The 1st Criminal Chamber of the Diyarbakır Regional Court of Justice upheld the sentences by a majority vote on May 26, 2025. The presiding judge issued a dissenting opinion, stating that the evidence was insufficient and that the verdict should be overturned.

The judge argued that camera footage, cell tower reports, and DNA findings were examined incompletely and superficially; he maintained that it was contrary to the ordinary flow of life for Narin to have been killed by three people in a short period of time through a joint act. He also noted that significant evidence, such as PSA and hair samples, had not been sufficiently investigated.

APPEAL AGAINST CONTINUED DETENTION REJECTED

The defendants' lawyers appealed their clients' continued detention. However, the 1st Criminal Chamber stated that there was no need for a correction in its previous decision and ruled that the detention should continue. The appeals were rejected by a majority vote, and the file was sent to the 2nd Criminal Chamber for evaluation.

PRESIDING JUDGE ISSUES ANOTHER DISSENTING OPINION

The presiding judge reiterated his view regarding the detention decision. He argued that the detention of Yüksel and Enes Güran was unlawful. In his dissenting opinion, he drew attention to a report prepared by the India-based digital forensics company BFI. The report stated that there was no human activity around the house and barn where the murder was alleged to have taken place. The judge stated that when this report is evaluated alongside other criminal analyses, it does not support the guilt of the defendants.

The presiding judge stated, "Given the state of the evidence, continued detention may cause grievances that are difficult to compensate. Therefore, I am of the opinion that Yüksel and Enes Güran should be released under judicial control, with a travel ban and a house arrest order," he said.