Reactions Against Prosecutor’s Opinion as to the Accusations in Gezi Trial

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Pronouncing his opinion as to the accusations in Gezi trial yesterday (February 6), Public Prosecutor Edip Şahiner has requested aggravated life sentence for Osman Kavala, the only arrested defendant of the case, Yiğit Aksakoğlu and Mücella Yapıcı. The prosecutor has also demanded that the other defendants be sentenced to 15 to 20 years in prison.

While Yiğit Aksakoğlu was released after serving 221 days behind bars, Osman Kavala has been arrested for 829 days despite a European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) verdict of 'right violation' and 'immediate release.'

CLICK - Gezi Trial: Prosecutor Requests Aggravated Life Sentence for Kavala, Yapıcı, Aksakoğlu

The prosecutor's opinion announced ahead of Gezi trial's final hearing on February 18 has sparked criticisms, especially on social media.

Mücella Yapıcı, for whom the prosecutor has requested aggravated life sentence, has denounced the opinion as to the accusations by sharing a stanza from the poem "That Wall" by late poet Nazım Hikmet, which reads, "That wall, that wall of yours... We laugh in the face of it all!"

We have compiled some other reactions as follows:

İpek Çalışlar (Journalist - writer): I expect the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) verdict of "immediate release" on Osman Kavala to be implemented immediately. It would not abide by the law if a prosecutor expressed an opinion defying this verdict. In Turkey, International Conventions have the force of law, they are above court verdicts of every stripe. Requesting conviction with an opinion that does not have any legal value harms the sense of justice. The most important criterion of a rule of law is to abide by the international agreements that we are a party to.

Kerem Altıparmak (Legist): In Gezi trial, the prosecutor has requested aggravated life sentence for Kavala, Aksakoğlu and Yapıcı. The case has been especially accelerated to make the ECtHR judgement inapplicable. Just to say that Kavala is not arrested anymore when the ECtHR judgement becomes final! The law cannot be trampled upon to such an extent!

Yaman Akdeniz (Legist): The prosecutor has requested aggravated life sentence for Osman Kavala, Yiğit Aksakoğlu and Mücella Yapıcı. Based on what evidence not seen by anyone in the file has he raised such a request? Don't they clearly aim to invalidate the ECtHR judgement by saying that 'he is not arrested anymore, but convicted'?

Kati Piri (Former European Parliament Rapporteur to Turkey): There's no limit to the madness in Turkey: Osman Kavala, Yiğit Aksakoğlu, Mücella Yapıcı and all others in Gezi trial are innocent, as proven by the European Court. Prosecutor asks for aggravated life sentences.

SHAM TRIAL, SHAM JUSTICE!

Ali Şeker (CHP İstanbul MP): Our friends unlawfully facing aggravated life sentence because they struggled to protect the democracy, nature, city and values of İstanbul and Turkey in the honorable Gezi Resistance are the most valuable people of İstanbul and Turkey themselves.

Mustafa Yeneroğlu (Former ruling AKP MP): What would the public prosecutor's office request if there were indeed any evidence? If the lives of that many people were not played with, they would just mention it in the passing in law classes, referring to it as a bad example. A tragicomic opinion as to the accusations deprived of a single piece of evidence and full of factoids and assumptions. Shame on you!

Eren Keskin (Lawyer - Human Rights Association (İHD) Co-Chair): The prosecutor's opinion as to the accusations in Gezi trial is horrible! It should be taught at law schools to show 'how not to write an opinion as to the accusations.' Shame on you, you do not even know the domestic law, let alone the international conventions that we you have signed!

Melda Onur (Former CHP MP): An indictment of taking revenge on Gezi issued by the judiciary of the AKP, who 'reviewed' FETÖ's indictment, based on the nonsensical statements of a (certified) mentally unstable informant... We need a Nancy Pelosi now... Cırt!*

Canan Coşkun (Journalist): The prosecutor has announced his opinion as to the accusations in Gezi trial. The indictment says that people lost their lives, but it does not write who killed them. These young people did not just die by themselves. For instance, Ali İsmail Korkmaz. Police officer Mevlüt Saldoğan killed him. The court board considered him an aggrieved party.

Can Candan (Documentarian - academic): In Gezi trial, the prosecutor has requested aggravated life sentence for Osman Kavala, Yiğit Aksakoğlu and Mücella Yapıcı for "attempting to overthrow the government" and up to 20 years in prison for other defendants for aiding this crime. Would you like some more judicial reform? (EKN/SD)

* An onomatopoeia for tearing paper in Turkish