Policeman receives jail sentence in Berkin Elvan case

ISTANBUL

An Istanbul court has sentenced a policeman to 16 years and eight months in jail in a case into the death of Berkin Elvan during the Gezi protests in 2013.

Berkin Elvan, then 14, was shot with a tear gas canister during the Gezi Park protests in Istanbul’s Okmeydanı neighborhood on June 16, 2013. He was hospitalized due to his dire head injuries, underwent five surgeries and lost his life 269 days of staying comatose.

The members of the tribunal at the Istanbul 17th Heavy Penal Court took the decision unanimously at the hearing yesterday.

The court did not rule for the arrest of the police officer but banned him from traveling abroad.

The police officer pleaded not guilty and demanded his acquittal.

The suspect, identified only as F.D., attended the hearing via the Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBİS), while Berkin Elvan’s parents and two sisters, as well as lawmakers from the opposition People’s Republican Party (CHP), the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and the Workers’ Party of Turkey (TİP) were in the courtroom.

The court first sentenced the police officer to life in jail, however reduced the sentence first to 20 years and finally 16 years and 8 months.

Berkin Elvan’s family in June 2013 filed a criminal complaint against several police officers regarding the death of the teenager.

The Istanbul 17th Court of Serious Crimes accepted an indictment about Elvan on Dec. 21, 2016.

The indictment was completed on Dec. 7, 2016 after nearly three years of an investigation, with the prosecutor saying the police officer had displayed “probable intent” in killing the boy.