Prosecutor Kristin delivers a stinging 'Porsche' retort in Timur Cihantimur case: 'Prison conditions are appropriate, but...'

Timur Cihantimur, who caused the death of Oğuz Murat Aci (29) and injured 4 others in a traffic accident in Istanbul's Kemerburgaz district on March 1, and was subsequently smuggled to the U.S. by his mother Eylem Tok, appeared in court for the second time in Boston, Massachusetts, the day before yesterday. 

According to a report by Voice of America (VOA), Cihantimur's lawyers complained during the hearing about the conditions of the juvenile detention center where the 17-year-old is being held.

THEY REQUESTED RELEASE ON BAIL

According to a report in Hürriyet; the lawyers stated that their client was living “under conditions of isolation” at the detention center. They noted that Cihantimur, who lived his life as the child of a wealthy doctor and a writer mother in Turkey, was struggling to adapt to the prison conditions in the U.S. The defense team, noting that their client's mental health had deteriorated and that he was unable to receive his prescription medication, argued that there was no flight risk and requested that the court release Cihantimur on bail.

PROSECUTOR'S 'PORSCHE' RETORT

Cihantimur's lawyers suggested that if he were released, his passport could be confiscated, thereby preventing him from leaving the country. Massachusetts Prosecutor Kristin Kearney responded to the lawyers' claims by stating that the conditions at the detention facility where Cihantimur is held are good, saying:

“There are classrooms, a gym, a library, a church, mental health support units, and medical facilities. In my understanding, Cihantimur is not in isolation. This is a perfectly appropriate place for such individuals. This might be a shock for someone who has lived in multimillion-dollar homes, driven around in his mother's Porsche, and never faced any problems before.” 

At the end of the approximately 1-hour hearing, Judge Donald L. Cabell stated that there were many documents to review and decided that Cihantimur should remain in custody. The date for the next hearing has not yet been set. Because Timur Cihantimur holds U.S. citizenship, his case is being heard separately from that of his mother, Eylem Tok.

REMINDED OF THE ESCAPE TO EGYPT

Prosecutor Kristin Kearney stated, “Cihantimur and his mother managed to escape to Egypt with a bag full of cash just hours after a person lost their life,” arguing that, contrary to the lawyers' claims, he could still flee even if his passport were confiscated. For this reason, the prosecutor opposed Cihantimur's release on bail.

FRIEND IN THE U.S. RELAYED THE HEARING

Özer Aci, the father of Oğuz Murat Aci, who was killed when the vehicle driven by Timur Cihantimur struck him, followed the events of the second hearing moment-by-moment from his home in Istanbul through phone calls with his friend Esat Gök in the U.S. Regarding the decision to keep Timur Cihantimur in custody during the second hearing, father Özer Aci said the following: 

“I have said from the very beginning that this is a war between materialism and spirituality. They thought they could get away with money and escape justice in America. But that is not what happened. I followed them until they were caught; this happened thanks to public opinion, the press, and the support of people with a conscience. I am not alone; those with a conscience are by my side. I know that even if I don't champion this case anymore, thousands of people will do it on my behalf. Just like in the courtroom in Boston, he looked around to see if he could spot a familiar face, and all eyes looked at him with anger and hatred. They were already imprisoned in the public conscience; whether they are actually behind bars or not is not important.”

THE PROSECUTOR IS AWARE OF THE SITUATION

“The prosecutor argued this: If you let him out, since the father's situation is very good, the person who smuggled him out of Istanbul in 2 hours will smuggle him out of here in 3 hours, 5 hours, or he will escape from here too. The prosecutor is also aware of the situation; she explained in a nice way that those who escaped from Turkey in 2 hours could also escape from America. Let us state again, sir, they say ‘prison conditions are very bad.’ For a 16-year-old child who has lived a life of luxury, perhaps having a nanny feed him, it is of course difficult for a child who cannot do his own chores to fall into prison conditions.”

THAT MOTHER IS ALSO HER SON'S KILLER

“As a result of the mother giving him a million-dollar car and saying, ‘Take it, son, this car is yours, and these keys are yours,’ and turning a blind eye, both my child died and that child died from this point on. That mother is the killer of two people, not one. Of course, the father is guilty; the father sent them abroad, the father provided the car for the child. In our country's laws, there may not be a place for this as a penalty, but there is a reality: they created the killer themselves. The mother created it, the father created it, but unfortunately, they created it themselves. I have not given up for 113 days. I hope we will get an exemplary result on Thursday as well.”

News Source: 12punto