Court accepts indictment on ISIL attack on Istanbul nightclub

ISTANBUL

An Istanbul court accepted an indictment on an Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) attack on a famous nightclub at the heart of Istanbul on May 17. 

The Istanbul 27th Heavy Penal Court accepted the indictment into the ISIL attack on the Reina nightclub in Ortaköy, which resulted in the deaths of 39 people, while wounded 79 others. 

The hearings of the case will be held in a courtroom across Silivri Prison as part of security measures. The first hearing will be held on Dec. 11 and the hearings will continue for five days nonstop with the attendance of translators for the testimonies of the foreign suspects. 

The indictment includes 57 suspects, of whom 51 are under arrest, and names 39 as “deceased,” while naming 122 others, of whom 60 are of foreign origin, as “victims” and “complainants.” 

A prosecutor has sought 40 years of aggravated life sentence for Uzbek-origin Abdulkadir Masharipov, the attacker, over “attempting to remove the constitutional order” and killing 39 people. Masharipov also faces thousands of years in prison over several charges, including “being a member of an armed terrorist organization,” “attempting to kill on purpose” and “opposing the law on firearms.”

The planners of the attack, Ilyas Mamasharipov, Abdurrauf Sert, Ali Jameel Mohammed, and Masharipov’s wife Zarina Nurullayeva also face 40 times aggravated life sentences each, as well as thousands of years in prison over plenty of charges, including “being members of an armed terrorist organization.”

The indictment included 22 incidents carried out by ISIL in Turkey and gave detailed information on the jihadist group. Moreover, court decisions regarding ISIL and the media organs of the group were added to the indictment. 

Masharipov was captured on Jan. 16, 15 days after being on the run, in Istanbul’s Esenyurt district, along with four other people, including a man of Kyrgyz origin and three women.

At least 2,000 police officers took part in raids in 152 different addresses to capture Masharipov.