Requested sentences announced in the trial for the attack on Kılıçdaroğlu's Justice March

The prosecutor has submitted their final opinion regarding the attempted attack on the Justice March initiated by former CHP Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. 

The prosecutor announced their opinion for some of the 18 defendants being retried following the Court of Cassation's reversal of the previous verdict.

In the case heard at the Kayseri 2nd High Criminal Court, the opinion requests that defendant O.K. be punished for "attempted premeditated murder" and "membership in an armed terrorist organization," E.E. for "membership in an armed terrorist organization" and "attempted premeditated murder," and F.O. for "membership in an armed terrorist organization" within the scope of effective remorse, while requesting the acquittal of the other defendants.

The court panel adjourned the hearing after the lawyers requested time for written defense.

WHAT HAPPENED?

O.K., who was determined to have planned an attack by driving a minibus he rented in Kayseri into the participants of the march, which Kılıçdaroğlu started in protest of the arrest of his party's Istanbul MP Enis Berberoğlu, was caught on the route of the organization in Kocaeli on July 5, 2017.

Within the scope of the investigation, 26 more suspects were detained in Kayseri and Kocaeli, while suspect M.K. could not be caught. A lawsuit was filed at the 2nd High Criminal Court against 5 defendants, including O.K., who was stated to be the so-called emir of the terrorist organization ISIS, on charges of "violating the Constitution" and "attempted premeditated murder," and against the other defendants on charges of "membership in a terrorist organization."

In the case concluded on February 7, 2019, O.K. was sentenced to 14 years, 7 months, and 15 days in prison, 24 defendants were given prison sentences ranging from 4 years and 2 months to 21 years and 9 months, 2 defendants were acquitted, and the file of the fugitive M.K. was separated.

Upon the objection of the witness and complainant lawyers, the Ankara Regional Court of Justice 21st Criminal Chamber, which heard the case, found the decision regarding 21 defendants to be in accordance with the law, but ruled that the files of defendants S.K., C.K., B.K., B.Ç., A.K., and S.O., who did not have lawyers during the trial process, should be separated and sent to the local court for retrial.

The court panel had sentenced 6 defendants to 6 years and 3 months in prison each for the crime of "membership in an armed terrorist organization."

After the parties took the case to the Court of Cassation, the 3rd Criminal Chamber, which reviewed the file, overturned the decision regarding 18 defendants on the grounds that some defense lawyers did not attend the final hearing due to excuses, the petitions of defendants who wanted to benefit from effective remorse provisions were not taken into account, and sentences were given despite the fact that organizational activities could not be determined for some defendants, and sent the file back to the local court.

News Source: 12punto