101 times aggravated life imprisonment! The court handed down sentences to the defendants in the Gar Massacre case.

After the Supreme Court's decision to overturn, the trial of 26 defendants, 10 of whom are in custody, in the case of the terrorist organization ISIS's attack in front of Ankara Train Station on October 10, 2015, which resulted in the death of 101 people, was announced.

In the afternoon session of the trial at Ankara 4th Heavy Penal Court, the final words of the defendants were taken. The Court President stated that Erman Ekici's lawyer submitted an excuse petition before giving him the floor and informed that he was appointed as a lawyer by the Ankara Bar Association in legal terms.

Upon this, the defendant Erman Ekici said, "I don't know what a bar lawyer can do. We expect him to understand a trial that has been going on for 9 years in 9 minutes, and is it not possible for us to wait for this decision hearing, my lawyer is in Istanbul and he has sent an excuse petition to the court, stating that he has been assigned as a lawyer by the Ankara Bar Association."

"WE WERE CHOSEN AS VICTIMS"

Ekici accepted this and made the following statement: "How could Prosecutor Bey conclude that I am Ebu Talha that day? It is said that Ebu Talha gave Islamic History lessons in Constantinople, but I was arrested from my house. We were chosen as victims. No mention of my name in Şahin's statements. But strangely, the prosecutor added me 6-7 months later. It is said 'Erman Ekici is Ebu Talha'. Why are we in prison while Mehmet Fatih Alıcı and Murat Dayan are free? If I didn't know that I was a victim, I wouldn't make these defenses. We can only be acquitted if a conscientious person comes out and reads the statements of these children. I am now requesting my release. If you do not find it appropriate, give me house arrest."

The lawyer assigned to Ekici by the Ankara Bar Association requested the acquittal of his client. The Court President stated that Hacı Ali Durmaz left the SEGBIS conference without permission and said that his final words would not be taken. The other defendants also denied the charges against them and requested acquittal from the court. After taking the final words of the defendants, the court announced its decision and separated the file for the defendants who had arrest warrants.

The panel sentenced the defendants Yakub Şahin, Hakan Şahin, Hacı Ali Durmaz, Halil İbrahim Alçay, Resul Demir, Hüseyin Tunç, Talha Güneş, Abdülmuttalip Demir, and Metin Akaltın to aggravated life imprisonment for intentional qualified murder within the scope of armed terrorist organization activities against the victim Mustafa Budak.

RECEIVED 101 TIMES AGGRAVATED LIFE IMPRISONMENT

The court sentenced the defendant Erman Ekici to aggravated life imprisonment for "attempting to overthrow the constitutional order". Ekici was sentenced to 101 times aggravated life imprisonment for "intentional qualified murder" against 101 people within the scope of armed terrorist organization activities. Ekici, who received 379 times 18 years imprisonment for "attempted murder within the scope of armed terrorist organization activities", was sentenced to 10 years for "possession of explosive substances without permission" and 3 years for "possession of unlicensed weapons". The panel, which made the decision unanimously, did not apply any reduction in the sentences given to the defendants. Erman Ekici was acquitted of the charge of "committing crimes against humanity" due to the lack of elements of the crime.

HISTORY OF THE CASE

The indictment prepared by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office regarding the terrorist attack was accepted by Ankara 4th Heavy Penal Court on July 13, 2016, and the first hearing was held on November 7, 2016. As a result of the trial, the court concluded the case on August 3, 2018, and sentenced 9 defendants to 101 times aggravated life imprisonment, one for "violating the constitutional order" and 100 for "intentional murder of 100 people", and ordered the separation of the file regarding the 16 fugitive defendants. Erman Ekici, who was sentenced to 18 years in prison for "being a leader of an armed terrorist organization", was also reported for trial for "violating the constitutional order", "intentional murder of 100 people", and "attempted murder" against the injured plaintiffs in the terrorist attack.

The Court of Cassation's 3rd Criminal Chamber partially overturned the file for some defendants. The chamber also overturned the conviction decision established on Ekici for "establishing and leading an armed terrorist organization" and stated that Ekici should be tried for "intentional murder" and "crimes against humanity". Ankara 4th Heavy Penal Court merged Ekici's case with the case of the 16 fugitive defendants and the case opened against 9 people, and the number of defendants in the trial became 26.

WHAT HAPPENED?

In the attack carried out by the terrorist organization ISIS in front of Ankara Train Station on October 10, 2015, 100 people lost their lives, and the number of victims increased to 101 as a result of the death of one person due to the wounds he received in the attack.