“Self-Defense is Out of Question”

In additional to existing ones, two expert reports have been submitted in the case of Ethem Sarısülük, a Gezi Resistance protestor who was shot dead by police officer Ahmet Şahbaz.

“The suspected police officer had a nervous breakdown and self-defense is out of question,” cited a report. 

The aforementioned reports - submitted by Klaus Stanjek, a documentary subject at Television and Movie School of Germany, and Cem Kaptanoğlu, chairman of Eskişehir Osman Gazi University Psychiatry department respectively - will be submitted to the court on the next hearing.   

Advocate Kazım Bayraktar explained the reason why they consulted an outside expert: 

“It became necessary to have an independent expert report versus the existing subjective reports ordered by prosecutors.”

No sign of “random bullet”

Analyzing 5 different surveillance camera footage at the time the incident, Stanjek wrote a 12-page report dated on July 3. 

Some of the highlights from the report included:

“Considering why the policeman ran towards a lying protestor, kicked his head and at the same time sprang forward to a group of protestors ready to fight, it is hard to explain why the policeman jeopardized him life in a meaningless fashion.

“Self-defense is out of question. He fired his gun three times in a regular fashion. It looks like his firing is only caused by his willingness to take certain action. It should be interpreted that he acted on his own, given that his consequent actions were not caused by protestors. (It is probable that the policeman had a nervous breakdown or he experienced an extraordinary emotional state).”

“There is no finding that might have shifted the direction of the gun while shooting, for instance a protestor stone or “a random bullet” - the bullet might have shifted direction after hitting another object. 

“Police obviously commited a serious crime”

Cem Kaptanoğlu, on the other hand, wrote a report on how the incident might have unfolded given the interaction between policeman’s psychological state and his environment at the time of the incident. Signed on July 3, the report stated that “policeman Şahbaz was never left desperate without his means of self-defense”. 

“…The suspect caused the death of a young man under an anger and aggression that he was unable to control within the principles of his profession.”

“It is impossible to accept that the suspect might have fired his gun saying that he was forced to do so in the name of security risk. Looking at how the incident unfolded, the suspected policeman obviously committed a serious professional violation, a fundamental crime.”

“Prosecutor’s expert distorted the plot” 

Advocate Bayraktar said that the report signed by  Stanjek revealed the distorted facts in the report written by prosector-assigned experts. 

“The second report was also parallel to the findings of the first report. 

On the other hand, the report written by prosecutor-assigned experts - Associate professor Sevilay Çelenk Özen and research assistant Enver Özüstün from Ankara University respectively - had findings that didn’t include in another previous report. 

“Şahbaz pulled his gun prior to approaching protestors and set his gun as he was kicking a protestor on the ground. He shot Ethem while his face was pointed towards Sarisülük,” the report said. 

“Independent experts did not only enlighten this murder case but the dark face of Turkey’s judicial system,” Advocate Bayraktar said. 

Suspect policeman Şahbaz was ordered to stand trial on September 23 by Ankara 6th High Criminal Court. (AS/BM)

* Click here to read the original article in Turkish.