Alleged killers of Gezi protestor face life imprisonment

ESKİŞEHİR - Doğan News Agency

DHA Photo

The alleged killers of Ali İsmail Korkmaz could face life imprisonment for the fatal beating of the 19-year-old Gezi protester.

The court has approved an indictment prepared by Eskişehir’s public prosecutor, Hakan Ali Erkan, for the killing of Korkmaz, a university student from Antakya who was studying in the Central Anatolian province.

Korkmaz died of a brain hemorrhage on July 10 after spending 38 days in a coma in Eskişehir, where he was beaten during a June demonstration.

The indictment prepared by Erkan seeks life imprisonment for the five arrested suspects, including a police officer and four bakery workers, as well as three police officers who were released after giving a deposition.

The prosecutor said the arrested suspect police officer, identified only as M.S., could have foreseen that the victim was going to die with his sudden, unexpected and repeated kicks to Korkmaz’s chest and head.

The indictment also said the other four suspects under arrest, the owner of the bakery İ.K., his relatives R.K., M.V., and fellow bakery worker E.H., assisted in stopping the running victim, and aided and abetted the murder.

The five suspects were deemed to be involved in the killing of Korkmaz, as their actions “supported, enabled and facilitated” M.S.’s actions, the indictment read.

Three police officers, who are on trial without arrest, identified as Ş.G., H.E. and Y.A., are similarly accused in the indictment of being involved in the killing of Korkmaz by “supporting, enabling and facilitating.”

Protest risk may change trial location

Meanwhile, the trial into the slaying of Korkmaz may be moved from Eskişehir to another city in the wake of incidents sparked in Ankara during the first trial of another murdered Gezi protestor, Ethem Sarısülük.

The first hearing into a police officer’s murder of Sarısülük was postponed before it began yesterday, after opposing parties nearly came to blows when the presiding judge closed the hearing to the public.
The first hearing date in Korkmaz’s case is expected to be announced within a month.

Around 13 lawyers who are registered with the Ankara, Eskişehir and Hatay Bar Associations, including the head of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations (TBB) Metin Feyzioğlu, will be advocating for the Korkmaz family during the trial.