Dev-Yol Trial Time-Barred

The trial about the Marxist-Leninist movement Devrimci Yol ('Revolutionary Path') (Dev-Yol) started on 18 October 1982. After 30 years, it was closed by prescription at the final hearing of the case on 1 February. The session before the Court of Appeals 9^th Chamber was attended by all 21 defendants and their lawyers.

Defence lawyer Mehdi Bektaş told bianet that he had already expected the decision for the statute of limitation.

The trial started 30 years ago with 723 defendants. At last, procedures were continued against 21 defendants. Bektaş appreciated the fact that the trial was brought to an end. The lawyer said that the last hearing was held on 18 January and that the decision was left to 1 February in order to review the file in the meantime.

Defendant Akçam opposed statute of limitation

Dev-Yol trial defendant Cahit Akçam had told bianet in a statement made after the hearing on 14 December that he was against the procedures to become time-barred.

Akçam had emphasized that the defendants were not responsible for the extensive trial period. He assessed the case as an obvious result of fascism. In his opinion, the defendants should have been acquitted instead of closing the case by prescription in order to take account of the unlawfulness of the12 September 1980 military coup.

Lawyer Bektaş indicated that this request of the defendants was absolutely justified. However, the statute of limitation was a procedural matter and after that the core of the issue was not going to be considered any more. Thus, the question of guilt was not going to be discussed any more, Bektaş concluded. (EKN/VK)