29.06.2025 07:50
In the report prepared by an India-based forensic firm based on camera footage related to the murder of 8-year-old Narin Güran in Diyarbakır, it was determined that the child was abducted near the home of Nevzat Bahtiyar and never reached the home of Arif Güran. The report also stated that the previously prepared reports by the National Criminal Bureau (UKB) and German experts were erroneous.
On August 21, 2024, in the rural Tavşantepe neighborhood of the Bağlar district in Diyarbakır, after going missing, the lifeless body of Narin Güran was found on the 19th day of the search efforts, hidden in a sack covered with three stones weighing 30, 25, and 20 kilograms, and concealed by bushes. A case has been filed against four individuals at the Diyarbakır 8th High Criminal Court regarding Narin Güran's death. Salim Güran, her uncle, who had DNA and hair samples belonging to Narin in his vehicle, along with her mother Yüksel Güran and her brother Enes Güran, were taken into custody. Afterward, a neighbor named Nevzat Bahtiyar, who confessed to transporting the body to the stream bed, was charged with 'intentional murder of a child in complicity' and aggravated life imprisonment was requested. In the second hearing of the case held on December 28, Salim Güran, Enes Güran, and Yüksel Güran were sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for 'intentional murder of a child in complicity,' while Nevzat Bahtiyar received a 4-year and 6-month prison sentence for 'destroying, concealing, or altering evidence.' The court ruled for the continuation of the defendants' detention.
THE SENTENCE GIVEN BY THE COURT WAS UPHELD BY A MAJORITY VOTE
The appeals filed by the lawyers of the detained defendants, the lawyers of the complainant Arif Güran, who was present as a victim, and the Family and Social Services Ministry and Diyarbakır Bar Association were examined at the Diyarbakır 8th High Criminal Court. The case file, consisting of 17 folders, along with the appeal applications, was sent to the 1st Criminal Chamber of the Diyarbakır Regional Court of Appeal for evaluation. In a decision made on May 26, the 1st Criminal Chamber of the Regional Court of Appeal upheld the prison sentences given by the court for the four defendants by a majority vote. Additionally, the President of the Court also stated the reasons for the decision. The Court President noted that the camera recordings, base reports, and DNA findings in the file were inadequately and insufficiently examined, emphasizing that the movements of Nevzat Bahtiyar should be clarified through detailed video analysis. He highlighted that the assumption that the mother, brother, and uncle collectively and quickly killed Narin was contrary to common sense and the ordinary course of life. Furthermore, he expressed that critical evidence such as PSA and hair samples had not been sufficiently investigated scientifically, and due to all these inadequate examinations, the decision should be overturned.
INDIA-BASED FORENSIC FIRM EXAMINED THE FOOTAGE
Upon the request of Salim Güran's lawyer Onur Akdağ, the India-based Brilliant Forensic Investigation (BFI) firm examined the camera recordings from the Dara-2 Military Base and its surroundings related to Narin Güran's death. BFI experts also conducted a technical analysis on the original footage by evaluating reports prepared by Professor Dirk Labudde from Germany and the National Criminal Bureau. The detailed 122-page report examined the shadows and human movements detected in the camera footage. The technical analysis revealed that the school camera was 4 minutes ahead of real time, while the Dara-2 Military Base camera was 6 minutes and 45 seconds ahead. The report was added to the appeal petition by lawyer Onur Akdağ and sent to the Court of Cassation. In the petition, the release of his client and a hearing for the examination of the case were requested. Additionally, it was demanded that Nevzat Bahtiyar be punished inadequately, and therefore he should be separately punished for 'intentional killing of a child,' 'sexual abuse of a child,' and 'deprivation of liberty.'
"A LARGE AND SMALL SHADOW IS DETECTED NEAR BAHTIYAR'S HOUSE"
The report stated that in the school camera footage, Narin Güran was seen wearing a dark-colored t-shirt and shorts, carrying a crossbody bag at 15:15:09 on August 21, 2024, and this image corresponded to 15:11:09 in real time. It was noted that Narin then proceeded along the path, and while walking on the path, a large human-like shadow was detected near Nevzat Bahtiyar's house, with a high probability of belonging to him. The footage showed that the large and small shadows were very close to each other at 15:19:49, which could indicate a possible confrontation, and at 15:19:54, the small shadow suddenly disappeared while the large shadow moved towards the barn, strengthening the possibility that Narin was abducted there.
"NO HUMAN OR VEHICLE ACTIVITY AROUND ARIF GÜRAN'S HOUSE"
The report emphasized that there was no human movement detected during Narin Güran's return home between 15:16:00 and 15:40:45, and no human or vehicle activity was observed around Arif Güran's house during the same time frame. It was stated that the statement of the defendant Nevzat Bahtiyar, claiming that he took Narin's lifeless body from Arif Güran's house to his barn, did not match the camera recordings, and improved footage did not show any movement of Nevzat Bahtiyar in that area. The report noted that at 15:41:27, a dark-colored vehicle, likely red, was detected leaving the village on a gravel road about 300 meters outside the village, indicating that this was the only vehicle that left the village during the incident times. The movement of the vehicle was also reflected in the security camera of the Dara-2 Military Base. The BFI report also highlighted that errors were found in the calculations and image analyses in previously prepared reports by the National Criminal Bureau (UKB) and German expert Dirk Labudde, indicating weak reliability.