Prison sentence upheld for woman who killed ‘abusive’ husband

ANKARA

The Supreme Court of Appeals has approved a prison sentence of 15 years handed down by a local court to Çilem Doğan, a woman who made national headlines in Turkey after killing her husband for allegedly forcing her into prostitution.

Released on a bail worth 50,000 Turkish Liras ($5,150) in 2015 following her lawyer’s appeal, the 30-year-old woman will go to prison again after six years, with the High Court having completed the examination of the sentence.

Speaking to Demirören News Agency after her sentence was upheld, Doğan said she did not expect such a decision and that she was deeply saddened.

“They actually convicted an eight-year-old girl, not me,” she said, stressing that her little daughter will grow up without both a mother and a father.

İsa Ayanoğlu, Doğan’s lawyer, said they would take the decision to the General Board of Criminal Justice and demand a correction, adding that this decision is not fair and that it will encourage male violence further in a country already grappling with high rates of violence against women and femicide. 

Doğan was reportedly exposed to violence following her marriage to Hasan Karabulut in 2013. She sought a divorce but gave up after family members tried to stop her and she received threats from her husband, who said he would kill her family should the divorce take place.

However, in 2015, Doğan killed Karabulut for allegedly forcing her into prostitution.

She became one of the many symbols of the women’s movement in Turkey when she was photographed wearing a T-shirt reading: “Dear past, thanks for all the lessons. Dear future, I am ready,” while walking to court, escorted by police, handcuffed.