3 Defendants Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Poisoning Dogs in Ankara

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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The court has announced its ruling in the lawsuit filed into the poisoning of dogs in the capital city of Ankara in April 2019.

As reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), the court has ruled that three defendants shall be each sentenced to 10 years in prison for "killing an owned animal and polluting the environment deliberately.

CLICK - 3 Suspects Released in Relation With Poisoning of Dogs in Ankara Released

What happened?

At the night of April 10, 2019, 16 street dogs lost their lives after eating poisoned chickens left by people in a vehicle in the Neighborhood of Turgut Özal in Batıkent in the capital city of Ankara. Some dogs that were also poisoned after eating the chickens were hospitalized.

After the neighborhood residents raised their concerns about the incident on social media, it caused backlash among several social media users.

Making a statement later in the night, Haydar Özkan, the Chair of the Confederation for the Protections of Animals' Rights (Haykonfed), announced that they filed a criminal complaint against the perpetrators. The Ankara Bar Association also filed a criminal complaint regarding the incident.

Taken into custody in relation with the poisoning of dogs, three suspects were released on probation on April 11, 2019. (AÖ/SD)