23-Year Prison Sentence Solely Based on Witness Statement

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Though both the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and İstanbul Security Directorate stated the opposite, Nazım Şafak Korkmaz has been sentenced to 23 years, 9 months in prison on charge of "membership of an organization" solely based on a witness statement.

As part of an investigation on the possible charge of "membership of an organization", Nazım Şafak Korkmaz was wiretapped for a year.

The prosecutor examining the voice records wrote that no evidence was obtained with regards to his actions: "When the deciphered voice records were examined, no findings were obtained as to his participation in the alleged incidents or his membership of the the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) organization."

The prosecutor's office did not settle for this and requested a report on Korkmaz from the Intelligence Office of İstanbul Security Directorate.

The report sent to the prosecutor's office also indicated that Korkmaz had no links with the organization: "No connection between Nazım Şafak Korkmaz and the terrorist organization has been detected."

However, despite all these official letters and records of wiretapped phone calls, a lawsuit was filed against him based on witness statements.

Because his name was mentioned in the statements of "permanent witness" İ.Ö., who says that "he has been an informant since he was 10."

Three separate dates for the same demonstration

Permanent witness İ.Ö., who is also an inmate himself, deposed against Korkmaz at the Security Directorate where he was taken.

Referring to a demonstration allegedly attended by Korkmaz, İ.Ö. gave three different dates, namely early 2006, the end of 2006 and early 2007.

İ.Ö. is both a witness and defendant in the case

In the ensuing trial based on the statements of İ.Ö., the İstanbul 37th Heavy Penal Court announced its ruling on May 30, 2019 and sentenced Korkmaz to 23 years, 9 months in prison in total.

The verdict was upheld by the court of appeals on November 19, 2019. The file is now awaiting examination by the Court of Cassation.

Working in textile business in Kağıthane district of İstanbul and planning his wedding before he was detained, 33-year-old Nazım Şafak Korkmaz has been behind bars since April 9, 2017. He is currently held in Kırıkkale Type F Prison in central Anatolia.

A member of the Republican People's Party (CHP), Korkmaz was an executive of the CHP Youth Organization in Kağıthane District for 7 years and the CHP Provincial Youth Organization Vice Chair for some time.

In his letter to bianet, Korkmaz previously wrote:

"Till the day I was arrested, I was an ordinary person following a home-work-home routine. I have a brother and a mother. After my father passed away, we have shouldered the burden of life together as a family.

"After my brother began his compulsory military service, my mother and I went to his oath-taking ceremony a month later. While we were on our way from the ceremony to the village to visit my paternal grandmother, we were stopped by the police, I was detained with my mother on my side because there was a warrant against me, then I was arrested.

"A person named İ.Ö. slandered me. This person is both a defendant and witness in my case file. While he attended every hearing, I was not taken to any hearing. I did my defense via the Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBİS). In fact, I was once requested to speak while standing on the table due to a fault in the system. I could not ask a single question to the person who slandered me. I could not use my right of defense.

"While watching news, I used to say 'Come on, it cannot be that bad." Yes, it is obviously that bad, it can indeed get worse. Everyone comes to need justice one day. I want justice. I want a fair trial." (AS/SD)