Prosecutors demand jail time for banner

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Retired teacher Metin Lokumcu (R) died during massive protests in Hopa last year. DHA photo

An Ankara prosecutor has prepared a fourth indictment into last year’s Hopa incidents, demanding between four and 22 years in prison for 50 people for marching behind a sign bearing an anti-government slogan.

The 50, including three lawyers, marched in Ankara behind a banner that said “The AKP government of death and oppression will pay” for the death of retired teacher Metin Lokumcu, who died of a heart attack after arguing with police amid massive protests by locals in the Black Sea district of Hopa against a campaign visit by the prime minister.

The indicted have been charged with “resisting [security forces] and preventing them from performing their duty, harming public property, making an affront to public officials and not obeying an order to disperse.” The suspects were reportedly identified by examining photos and visual records taken during the incidents.

The indictment was prepared by analyzing visual records and photos taken during the incidents, with the actions of individual suspects being determined by aligning their “time stamps” (the moments they were spotted in the video) with the footage. The indictment also included some analyses of individual suspects’ actions. The use of pepper gas by the police was also noted in the indictment.

“Pepper gas was used in order to disperse the protesters and end the attack, because the attack against security forces stationed at the Action Forces barricade in front of the AKP Provincial Chairman’s Office, continue to increase [in intensity],” the indictment read.