Statement from the General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Houses regarding the death of Faruk Fatih Özer! 'Not by hanging himself...'

Faruk Fatih Özer, who was accused of defrauding thousands of people through the cryptocurrency platform Thodex he founded, and who was being held in custody after being captured in Albania and brought to Turkey, has ended his life in his single-person cell.

Özer was found hanging from the bathroom door in his room at the Tekirdağ No. 1 F-Type High-Security Closed Prison on the morning of November 1.

CHIEF PUBLIC PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE LAUNCHED AN INVESTIGATION

While the Tekirdağ Chief Public Prosecutor's Office immediately launched an investigation following the incident, the General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Houses (CTE) also published a statement addressing the claims circulating in the public domain.

Stating that the claims that Özer hanged himself with a rope do not reflect the truth, the CTE included the following statement:

"It has been determined that he hanged himself by tying together the bed sheet and bath towel that he was permitted to keep in his room under the Regulation on Items and Materials That May Be Kept in Penal Execution Institutions."

"NEWS AND COMMENTS NOT BASED ON FACT"

The institution's statement emphasized that when the incident was noticed, staff intervened quickly, but medical teams determined that Özer had passed away upon their check.

The text included the following expressions:

"Following the incident, institution staff intervened immediately and medical teams were called; upon examination, it was understood that the convict Faruk Fatih Özer had passed away.

A controller has been assigned by our General Directorate to conduct the necessary investigations.

We kindly request that no credence be given to news and comments that are not based on fact, regarding both the material used in the suicide act and the manner in which the incident occurred."

HE HAD RECEIVED A PRISON SENTENCE EXCEEDING 11 THOUSAND YEARS

During the trial process, Özer had been sentenced to a total of 11 thousand 190 years and 6 months in prison for the crimes of "establishing, managing, and being a member of an organization," "qualified fraud," and "laundering of assets derived from crime."

In the indictment prepared by the Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was stated that the "Thodex" company, established with a capital of 400 thousand liras, had caused losses to investors through fraudulent transactions.

In the same file, prison sentences ranging from 12 thousand 164 years to 40 thousand 562 years were requested for 21 people, including Özer, for the crimes of "establishing and managing an organization for the purpose of committing a crime," "fraud using information systems (...)," and "fraud by merchants or company managers and laundering of assets derived from crime."

Özer was captured in Albania on August 30, 2022, while he was being sought as a fugitive.

HE WAS ARRESTED AFTER BEING BROUGHT TO TURKEY

Following the extradition decision approved by the Durrës Court of Appeal in Albania, Özer was handed over to Turkey on April 20, 2023; he was arrested by the duty judgeship at the Anatolian Courthouse on April 23.

The Anatolian 9th High Criminal Court, which concluded the case on September 7, 2023, had given Özer the long-term prison sentences mentioned above.

During the appellate review, the 22nd Criminal Chamber of the Istanbul Regional Court of Justice overturned some of the local court's rulings and decided to release Özer from the charge of "establishing an organization for the purpose of committing a crime"; it ruled for the continuation of his detention due to other crimes.

Upon the return of the file, the trial of 21 defendants, including Özer, had been restarted.