Defense of youth who stabbed mosque imam to death: 'It pierced when he hugged me'

In the incident that occurred in the Sinanpaşa neighborhood of the Yüreğir district on November 24, 2024, at approximately 14:45, it is alleged that a dispute broke out between mosque imam Tarık Karadağ and M.A., whom he encountered on the street.

During the dispute, M.A. wounded Imam Karadağ in the abdomen and back with a knife he had with him and fled. Imam Karadağ, who was taken to the hospital, could not be saved despite all interventions.

Following the incident, M.A. was apprehended and arrested, and a case was opened against him at the Adana Juvenile High Criminal Court with a request for a life sentence.

The detained defendant M.A. attended the hearing. The lawyers for the parties and the complainant Cennet Merda Karadağ, the wife of the murdered Tarık Karadağ, were also present in the courtroom.

"THE KNIFE HIT HIS ABDOMEN WHEN HE HUGGED ME"

Stating that he only heard about the incident a month later, M.A. explained that the knife pierced Karadağ's abdomen when the imam hugged him, saying, "I decided to talk to Tarık Karadağ because I was afraid he might do something to my sister.

On the day of the incident, I went to the mosque, and Imam Karadağ had parked his vehicle and was taking things out of the trunk. Since I knew he was a well-built person and I was afraid, I had taken a knife from the kitchen when I left the house. He absolutely did not deny it and started walking towards me. At this moment, I took out the knife I had with me to protect myself.

I was even holding the knife towards his feet. When he came towards me and hugged me, the knife hit his abdomen. When I felt the knife sink into his abdomen, I pulled it out immediately and wanted to run away, but instead of calming down, he continued to attack me. I didn't even stab him; the knife hit him when he came towards me. While this was happening, my friend was sitting on the sidewalk. He saw everything but could not intervene out of fear.

I managed to escape from Karadağ's hands somehow. He didn't even look like he was wounded while I was running away. After running for a while, I stopped somewhere, called my friend, and we met again. He called his brother and explained the situation. When his brother came to pick us up, I called my mother.

My mother was angry with me. 10-15 minutes later, my father also called me and was angry. My intention was to talk and warn Karadağ. I don't know why I didn't call an ambulance at that moment; I didn't even realize he was wounded. When I went home and my father asked what happened, I said that Karadağ was there last and that he was standing on his feet when I was running away. My grandfather, my father, and I called the police. When the police arrived, I surrendered with my knife," he stated.

C.M., the wife of the murdered Karadağ, claimed that what the defendant M.A. said was not true and that he had committed the act intentionally. The defendant M.A. said he was regretful.

TRIAL ADJOURNED

In his opinion, the public prosecutor requested that witnesses A.O.B. and A.Y. be brought by force, that a copy of the case file at the Adana 14th High Criminal Court be sent via UYAP, that the course instructors to whom F.A. recounted the harassment incident be heard as witnesses, that the detention of the defendant M.A. continue, and that missing matters be resolved.

The court panel decided to continue the detention of the defendant M.A. and adjourned the hearing to a later date to resolve the deficiencies.

News Source: İHA