Prosecutor seeks 46 life sentences each for Istanbul Atatürk Airport attack suspects

ISTANBUL

A prosecutor has sought 46 aggravated life sentences each for suspects in a case launched into the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) attack on Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport that left 45 people dead on June 28, 2016. 

A total of 45 suspects, of whom 41 are being tried under arrest, are accused of “being members of an armed terrorist organization,” “forming and managing a terrorist organization,” “attempting to remove the constitutional order,” “killing with a plan,” “attempting to kill with a plan” and “harming property.” 

The indictment for the 45 suspects was prepared in eight months after investigations by the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office were completed. According to the 257-page indictment, 163 people were listed as complainants for being left wounded and 44 others were involved because their property was harmed. 

Arrest warrants were issued for fugitives Nazım Gasanov, Marat Pshnatov and “Anzar abu Selbebil” code-named Rustem Efendiev, the indictment said. While, another arrest warrant was issued for an unidentified person who was detained after the attack, but was later released. 

The suspects’ connections to the ISIL bombers who died during the attack were also in the indictment. 

The prosecutor sought 46 times aggravated life sentences for each of the suspects over “attempting to remove the constitutional order” and “killing purposively.” 

The prosecutor sought between 2,132 years and 3,342 years in prison over other charges. 

A nonsuit decision was given for three deceased militants who died during the attack. 

The indictment has been sent to the Bakırköy Second Heavy Penal Court for examination. The court has fifteen days to examine the indictment. If the indictment is accepted, the suspects will appear at the Bakırköy Second Heavy Penal Court. 

On June 28, 2016, 45 people were killed by three ISIL gunmen at Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport. 

Three bombers opened fire to create panic outside the airport before two of them went inside and blew themselves up. The third militant detonated his explosives outside at the entrance to the international arrivals terminal.

ISIL has carried out a string of bomb attacks across Turkey since last year.

On March 19, 2016, five civilians, including three Israelis and one Iranian, were killed in another ISIL attack in Istanbul’s Taksim area. One of the Israelis killed and one of the wounded Israelis were carrying U.S. passports.

On Aug. 20, 2016, a teenage suicide bomber killed 57 in an ISIL attack in the southern province of Gaziantep.

On New Year’s Eve, in the early hours of 2017, a gunman killed 39 civilians at Istanbul’s Reina nightclub in a shooting rampage, causing global outrage and condemnation.