Trial over Gezi protester’s death postponed as no new arrests made

KAYSERİ

Emel Korkmaz, the mother of the victim, was greeted by protesters who came to Kayseri to show their support for Ali İsmail Korkmaz's family. AA photo

The court case concerning the shocking killing of Ali İsmail Korkmaz, a protester beaten to death during last summer’s Gezi demonstrations in Eskişehir, has been postponed until May 12 after the first hearing in the Central Anatolian town of Kayseri.

After an emotive session in which the prosecutors’ indictment was read out, the court rejected the demand for the arrest of a police officer among the eight murder suspects. 

The hearing was marked by the victim’s mother displaying photographs of her son to the suspects. 
During questioning by the victim’s lawyers, the suspects denied administering the fatal beating to Korkmaz, with some saying they did not remember who gave the order to deploy to the street to wait for escaping protesters. 

The hearing took place amid extraordinary security measures taken in Kayseri, where the main trial was moved for “security reasons.”

The case was eventually divided into four, as witnesses were set to testify in Eskişehir and Ankara, the family of Korkmaz was to testify in Hatay while the main case was set to be held in Kayseri, drawing criticism from the opposition.

The other trial, in which 25 witnesses were set to testify, has been suspended until Feb. 28 after lawyers of the Korkmaz family made an appeal, saying the witnesses should be heard after the criminal proceedings first begin against the suspects. The trial was originally set to be held on Jan. 6.