Reyhanlı bombing’s leaks suspect’s trial begins

SAMSUN – Doğan News Agency

AA Photo

Gendarmerie private Utku Kalı’s trial for allegedly leaking secret documents about the Reyhanlı bombings-linked terrorist activities in the southern province of Hatay, began on Oct. 21 in the northern province of Samsun in his absentia.

Kalı is being accused of leaking the secret gendarmerie intelligence to the hacker group RedHack, which shoulders the responsibility of leaks accusing Kalı’s involvement.

Some 53 civilians were killed in Reyhanlı on May 11. The hacker group RedHack aired an intelligence document allegedly showing an anti-government group in Syria, al-Nusra Front, with links to al-Qaeda, was behind the deadly attack.

Kalı was arrested on May 24 for leaking the documents belonging to the Gendarmerie Intelligence Department.

Kalı did not attend the trial since he is receiving treatment at a military hospital due to “torture in the military prison,” according to his lawyer and sister Ceren Kalı.

Kalı is on the edge of suicide because of the torture she said, demanding her brother release pending on trial.

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) spokesperson Haluk Koç and deputies Hüseyin Aygün, İlhan Cihaner also attended the trial.

Koç said the ones who should be sitting at the dock should have been the ones who drew Turkey into “this marsh,” referring to the officials who failed to prevent the Reyhanlı bombings.

The defense’s demand to release Kalı was overruled by the court board.
Kalı has been in prison for 149 days.