3 Students Sentenced to 4 Years and 2 Months in Prison

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Summary judgement was heard yesterday (November 8) in the trial of five students prosecuted as part of the investigation launched into a bomb allegedly found at parking area in Boğaziçi University campus. The students were detained on remand for different period.

İstanbul 14th Heavy Penal court headed by Cem Karaca ruled jail term of 4 years and 2 months, continuation of travel ban and lift of probation for Çağrı Kurt, Heja Türk and Jülide Yazıcı on charge of “Knowingly and willingly aiding an armed terror organization though not taking part in its hierarchical structure”. The jail term wasn’t deferred.

The court ruled acquittal of Mehtap Demirci and Hişyar Aydın, who were tried as part of the same file.

Prosecutor had changed the charge

Prosecutor Fahrettin Kemal Yerli had demanded acquittal of Yerli, Aydın and Demirci and that he had changed the charge to “knowingly and willingly aiding a terror organization”. Besides, he demanded release of Türk over the charge of “propagandizing for an illegal organization” pressed against him.

Defense attorneys: There is no sufficient concrete evidence

Making their statements of defense following the defendants, the lawyers said that there is not sufficient concrete evidence as to the charges included in the indictment, and they demanded release of defendants who are detained on remand and acquittal of defendants who are pending trial without arrest.

What happened?

Boğaziçi University, Department of Politics student Çağrı Kurt, Boğaziçi University, Department of Western Languages and Literature graduate Heja Türk who has been admitted to Columbia University MA program but cannot begin due to detention, Bilgi University graduate Mehtap Demirci were detained in house raid on January 28.

Jülide Yazıcı, student at Boğaziçi University, Department of Philosophy went to testify on January since she was not home in raid.

Four of them were arrested by the court they were brought on January 29. Hişyar Aydın, student at Bilgi University, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, was arrested within the scope of the same operation. Aydın was released in the first hearing on April 19. (TP/TK)

13 defendants are being tried within the scope of the same file. There is confidentiality order on the file. (TP/TK)