Almost 40 years in prison for bookstore bombing case

VAN - Hürriyet Daily News

Veysel Ateş (M), PKK confessor and suspect in the Şemdinli bookstore case was sentenced to 39 years and ten months along with two other suspects. DHA phot

A court in the eastern province of Van sentenced two non-commissioned officers and one defector from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to nearly 40 years in prison for their involvement in the bombing of a bookstore in 2005. 

Non-commissioned officers Ali Kaya and Özcan İldeniz, together with the confessor of PKK Veysel Ateş, were sentenced to 39 years and 10 months each. The suspects were charged with bombing Umut Bookstore on Nov. 9, 2005, in the Şemdinli district of the eastern province Hakkari. 

One person was killed and another wounded in the bombing of the bookstore that belonged to Seferi Yılmaz.
The final hearing of the case was held by the eastern province of Van’s 3rd Criminal Court yesterday. Because the Van Courthouse was damaged by recent earthquakes, the case was held at the M-type prison. 

In the previous hearing, the public prosecutor submitted his opinion on sentences for the arrested defendants, demanding 39 years, five months and 10 days for each of the three defendants on charges of “murder, forming a gang and attempted manslaughter.” The court decided yesterday on 39 years, 10 months and 27 days imprisonment for each.