Verdict announced in the train station massacre case

The verdict hearing was held today in the case regarding the October 10 Massacre, in which 103 people lost their lives as a result of an ISIS attack in Ankara on October 10, 2015.

At the hearing, which began at 09:30 at the Ankara 4th High Criminal Court, a connection was established with the detained defendants via videoconference from the prisons where they are held, while the lawyers for the parties were present in the courtroom. It was expected that a verdict would be reached for 10 of the 26 defendants, while the files of 16 defendants, who are stated to be ISIS members, would be separated due to their fugitive status.

ERMAN EKİCİ'S EXCUSE REJECTED

The Presiding Judge stated that the statements of the plaintiffs had been taken in the previous session and that the lawyer for defendant Erman Ekici, who had not yet provided a statement, had sent a petition to the court again stating that he could not attend the hearings. When asked for his opinion by the Presiding Judge regarding whether the petition could be accepted, the prosecutor requested that the excuse petition of Erman Ekici's lawyer be rejected and that a new lawyer be appointed by the bar association.

The court panel issued an interim decision, rejecting the excuse petition of Erman Ekici's lawyer and, given that the hearing was at the verdict stage, decided to issue a writ for the appointment of a new lawyer for Ekici from the bar association.

Following this, the statements of the plaintiffs were taken during the hearing.

Teacher Mehmet Murat Akçalı said, "We sat down with my friend to rest and the bomb went off. I have 20 pieces of shrapnel in my body. People I didn't even know died; they shielded me." Stating that they were carried to the hospital with banners and that they survived by chance, Akçalı added, "We went there so that no one would die in this country. I want to tell my students that no one's actions went unpunished. I want to say that the state of law did what was necessary."

Plaintiff Cevat Aktaş stated that they came to see justice served and said, "I want to appeal to your conscience on the path to justice. Are we going to take a step on the path to justice here?"

Other families and parties involved also demanded that the perpetrators and those responsible for the massacre be punished in the harshest possible way.

Following the statements of the plaintiffs, the Presiding Judge gave the floor to the defendants and their lawyers to make their final defenses. The defense lawyers stated that they agreed with their clients' statements and requested their acquittal.

After the statements were taken, the Presiding Judge adjourned the hearing because the Ankara Bar Association lawyer appointed for defendant Erman Ekici was not present in the courtroom.

After the break until 13:00, the defense of defendant Erman Ekici was finally heard.

After the defendants were asked for their final words, the hearing was adjourned until 16:00 for the verdict to be delivered.

AGGRAVATED LIFE SENTENCES FOR 10 INDIVIDUALS

At the hearing, 10 detained defendants were sentenced to between 5 and 101 counts of aggravated life imprisonment. Erman Ekici was sentenced to 101 counts of aggravated life imprisonment. The defendants were not sentenced for committing a "crime against humanity."

News Source: 12punto