Ali Ismail Korkmaz Hearing Resumes in Kayseri Province

Suspects are standing their second trial in the case of Ali İsmail Korkmaz, a Gezi Resistance protestor who was beaten to death during  in Eskişehir after 38 days of comatose on July 10, 2013. 

Prior to the hearing, Kayseri Provincial Police Headquarters shut down the vehicular traffic from Kocasinan Boulevard Sümer Over bridge to Erkilet Boulevard, Kaldırım Street and Barış Manço Street’s intersection starting from 07:00 am until the end of the trial.

Police also set many barriers outside the courthouse, shaping it like a labyrinth. Case observers were compelled to go through the search points to enter into the courthouse.

Korkmaz family entered the hearing room holding Ali İsmail’s photos in their hands. Berkin Elvan’s father Sami Elvan and Ethem Sarısülük’s brother Mustafa Sarısülük also arrived to observe the trial for moral support.

The trial has 8 defendants in total, 5 of them are arrested defendants; one of them is a police officer, and 3 police officer defendants without arrest. Arrested defendant police officer Mevlüt Saldoğan is on trial for “intentional murder with criminal intent” and charged with receive life sentence.

Other defendants, İsmail Koyuncu, Ramazan Koyuncu, Muhammet Vatansever and Ebubekir Harlar and police officer defendants without arrest, Şaban Gökpınar, Hüseyin Engin and Yalçın Akbulut, are requested to receive 10 to 15 years imprisonment for “participation in murder”.

Defendants admitted in the courtroom

Around 10 am local time, defendants arrived into the courtroom. More than 200 lawyers declared their names as advocates and the trial started at 10:00 am. 8 defendants of the trial are also in the hearing.

On today’s trial, witnesses are expected to be heard. On the othe hand, a report requested from TÜBİTAK, Turkey's official institution for science and technology, has yet to be submitted to the court panel as "the institution was still working on it". 

* This article has been compiled from various sources on bianet Turkish.