Sentence requested for attacker who stabbed imam at Fatih Mosque

In the trial of defendant Ömer Salgın, who on January 8, 2024, in Fatih, approached Fatih Mosque imam Galip Usta saying, "Teacher, may I ask you something?" before attacking him with a knife and causing injuries to two people who tried to intervene, the Public Prosecutor has presented their final opinion on the merits of the case.

REQUEST FOR UP TO 30 YEARS IN PRISON

In the final opinion presented by the prosecutor, it was stated that on the day of the incident, the defendant went to Fatih Mosque and spent some time there, before entering the room where mosque imam Galip Usta and complainant Bilal Erdem, whom he did not know previously, were located. The opinion stated that the defendant acted with the intent to kill Galip Usta and wounded him multiple times with a sharp object he was carrying.
The opinion noted that defendant Ömer Salgın wounded Galip Usta with a sharp object capable of causing death in a manner that endangered his life, and requested that he be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison for the crime of 'attempted intentional homicide due to the public duty performed by the person'.

In the opinion, it was also requested that Ömer Salgın be sentenced to up to 1 year in prison for the crime of 'possession of an unlicensed weapon', and for his actions against Bilal Erdem, he be sentenced to up to 9 years for the crime of 'intentional injury with a weapon', totaling up to 30 years in prison.

In the presented opinion, an acquittal was requested for the charge of 'intentional injury' regarding Yusufcan İslam, whose leg was broken while he was intervening against the defendant during the incident.

UP TO 19 YEARS IN PRISON REQUESTED

In the indictment prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it was requested that suspect Ömer Salgın be sentenced to a total of 19 years and 6 months to 34 years and 6 months in prison, including 18 to 30 years for 'attempted intentional homicide' against Bilal Erdem and Galip Usta separately, and 1 year and 6 months to 4 years and 6 months for 'intentional injury causing bone fracture or dislocation' against Yusufcan İslam.

News Source: 12punto