Suspect in Gezi protester’s death released

ESKİŞEHİR - Doğan News Agency

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An Eskişehir court has released S.K., who was allegedly involved in the beating death of 19-year-old Gezi protester Ali İsmail Korkmaz, while ordering him to report to a police station once a week, according to Doğan news agency. 

The 33-year-old bus driver was detained earlier today for allegedly subjecting Korkmaz to a brutal beating on June 2. Korkmaz soon went into a coma, finally succumbing to his injuries on July 10. 

S.K. has been banned from leaving the country, and is required to sign in with police forces in Eskişehir, according to the report. S.K. has denied all allegations that he was involved in Korkmaz’s beating death. 

An expert report was handed to the prosecutors’ office after around 40 pieces of video footage were examined. A group of people are seen in the video beating a protester with sticks that look like baseball bats and pursuing protesters, the report added.

However, a section of the footage lasting 18-20 minutes, which was recorded after the beating of the protester began, could not be found, according to daily Radikal. The government and police have denied any involvement in deliberately causing the disappearance of the missing footage.

Korkmaz’s case has been dominating public debate for days, with nationwide demonstrations taking place to protest the killing and the investigation.