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Human rights defender Dr. Serdar Küni has been sentenced to 4 years, 2 months in prison again in retrial.
Dr. Küni, who was a reference physician from the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) Cizre Reference Center, was arrested on October 19, 2016. Facing charges for "helping people who were allegedly members of [a terrorist] organization and being a member of the organization" himself, Küni was released by the court on April 24, 2017.
Putting the physician on trial over his actions during the period of curfews in Turkey's Kurdish-majority southeastern province of Şırnak, the Şırnak 2nd Heavy Penal Court ruled that Dr. Küni should be sentenced to 4 years, 2 months for "aiding the organization" and ruled for his release.
The verdict was reversed by the Gaziantep Regional Court of Justice. Following this reversal, the retrial began at the local court on April 25, 2018.
At the final hearing of the retrial held by the Şrnak 2nd Heavy Penal Court yesterday (November 16), Dr. Küni has been sentenced to 4 years, 2 months in prison. According to the court ruling, while the judgement has been handed down on charge of "organization membership," he has been given a prison sentence of 4 years, 2 months as required by his acquired right.
The TİHV has released a statement about the issue and underlined that the court gave this ruling "even though, from the first hearing onward, it was once again understood how baseless the allegations were and how they were devoid of any concrete evidence just as it was understood that the witness statements did not contain any concrete evidence, the witnesses themselves said that these statements had been taken under torture and the statetements in question did not belong to them."
An appeal will be lodged against the ruling and it will once again be examined by the Gaziantep Regional Court of Justice.
'What is put on trial is a practice of medicine'
In its statement, the TİHV has stressed that what is put on trial is "the practice of medicine based on universal ethical values." It has said, "The environment of solidarity created on both national and international arena till today has shown that Dr. Serdar Küni is not alone in any way at all."
Expressing its "most heart-felt thanks to the physician in the name of all colleagues, friends and human rights defenders," the foundation has said:
"We believe that, thanks to this strong support and solidarity, the law will have the upper hand at the next stage of the trial, justice will be served and Dr. Serdar Küni will be acquitted. In that case, this trial will also set an example to other parts of the world in the name of good medical practices in conflict environments."
About the judicial process and chargesHuman Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) Cizre Representative Dr. Serdar Küni was arrested on October 19, 2016. Two indictments brought against the physician accused him of "treating the 'members of the organization' who had been injured in the operations carried out during the curfew in Cizre." The only evidence in the file was an anonymous witness named "Vatan" (Homeland) and the statements made by some people who had been allegedly in Cizre in that period. However, except for "Vatan", all other witnesses said that they had given their statements under torture and had been forced to sign them. They withdrew their all statements and said that they did not know Dr. Küni. Anonymous witness "Vatan" said in his/her statement that "the protesters wounded in social incidents were treated at the health center where Küni was working." The only charge brought against Küni is about his practice of medicine; however, the related health center where he was working was closed on the indicated date. About Dr. Serdar KüniHe was born in 1972. He went to primary, secondary and high school in Cizre, Şırnak. He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of Dicle University. He got married in 1997 and has four children. He worked in the Emergency Service of Cizre State Hospital and healthcare centers. He was one of the founders of the Şırnak Medical Chamber, which was established on February 7, 2007. He was the Chair of the Chamber from 2010 to 2012. He is still a delegate of the Turkish Medical Association (TTB) Central Congress. He is also the Cizre Representative of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV). Küni was also working as a physician at the Bişeng Health Center, which was founded by the Cizre Municipality to protect public health. Speaking about the center, Dr. Küni previously said, "Since March 14, 2011, we have been offering services as the Bişeng Health Center under the roof of Cizre Municipality. Our aim is to give equal, free and accessible healthcare to all." The institution was especially providing women and children with preventive healthcare services in the mother language. Bişeng had to close down during the curfews and operations. |
(AS/SD)
