Syrian man involved in organ trafficking in Bursa receives 'good conduct' sentence reduction

A commission established by the Bursa Provincial Health Directorate for organ transplants from donors led to the arrest of 4 people who were attempting to perform a transplant by forging documents in exchange for 40 thousand dollars.

Kidney patient Younis Kashakra, an Israeli citizen of Palestinian origin, asked for help from Ali Almuhammed, who lives in Bursa and whom he met on social media, for a kidney transplant. Allegedly, Younis Kashakra, who received a promise from the Syrian national Almuhammed to find a donor in exchange for money, came to Bursa with his brother Saber, whom he would officially present as the donor for the kidney transplant.

Younis Kashakra and his brother accepted the offer made by Ali Almuhammed when they met at a cafeteria: "I have found a donor for you. I will also provide the medications. However, we need to add the photo and identity information of the person who will be the donor to your brother's passport. After the transplant is completed, I will take your 40 thousand dollars." Following this, Almuhammed made a deal with İsmail El Torad, who lived in Adana and had put one of his kidneys up for sale for 15 thousand dollars for the transplant. Almuhammed gave the donor, who came to Bursa the next day, 2 thousand liras for hotel and food expenses, and also pasted his photo and identity information into Saber Kashakra's passport.

HE HEADED TO PRISON WHILE WAITING FOR A TRANSPLANT

The incident came to light when the pre-transplant commission formed by the Bursa Provincial Health Directorate called Saber Kashakra in for questioning as a donor. İsmail El Torad, who came to the meeting by loading his own identity information and pasting his photo into Saber Kashakra's passport, was detained after giving contradictory statements. Police later caught the Kashakra brothers at the hotel where they were staying, and Ali Almuhammed at his home in the Yıldırım district. While 3 of the suspects brought to the courthouse were arrested, İsmail El Torad was released under judicial control conditions.

3 DETAINED SUSPECTS RELEASED

Following the prosecutor's investigation, a lawsuit was filed against the defendants at the Bursa 31st Criminal Court of First Instance. In the first hearing, while Ali Almuhammed denied the accusations, the other defendants stated that they did not know that organ transplantation in this manner was a crime in Turkey. Speaking at the hearing, the lawyer for the Kashakra brothers, Canan Kongur, argued, "My client Younis is a chronic kidney patient. His brother Saber agreed to give one of his kidneys to his older brother. For this reason, they came to Turkey. They had no intention of committing a crime. They have nothing to do with the 'forgery' crime committed on the document. This is an event that took place outside of them. If they had known, they would never have taken such a risk." After the hearing, the court decided to release all 3 detained defendants.

GOOD CONDUCT REDUCTION

The trial of the defendants, for whom prison sentences of 7 to 14 years each were requested for the crimes of 'forgery of official documents' and 'organ and tissue trafficking,' continued. Speaking at the hearing, which the defendants did not attend, the lawyer for the Kashakra brothers, Canan Kongur, said that her clients had no intention of committing a crime. Announcing its verdict, the court judge acquitted the 4 defendants of the charge of 'making false statements' and sentenced them to 5 years in prison each for the crime of 'trafficking or mediating in organ trafficking.' Taking the 'good conduct' of the defendants into account, the court reduced this sentence to 3 years, 1 month, and 15 days each.

News Source: İHA