Appeals court upholds 'good conduct' reduction in Pınar Bulunmaz femicide case

The Gaziantep Regional Administrative Court reviewed the verdict in the murder case of Pınar Bulunmaz and rejected the appeals filed by both the defendant and the complainant.

The incident occurred in the Siverek district of Urfa on Feb 22, 2024. Pınar Bulunmaz was shot and seriously injured following an argument while she was inside a vehicle with her husband, Rıdvan Bulunmaz. Although medical teams were called to the scene after the incident, Pınar Bulunmaz lost her life shortly after.

Following the investigation, a case was filed against the defendant, Rıdvan B., on charges of intentional murder at the Siverek Heavy Penal Court.

While the defendant was tried without detention for a some time during the trial, the court later issued an arrest warrant on the grounds that there was a risk of flight. He was subsequently arrested.

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In the final hearing held on Mar 6, 2026, the court board sentenced Rıdvan B. to life imprisonment for the crime of intentional murder against a spouse. However, the court applied a good conduct reduction, taking into account the defendant's lack of a prior criminal record, his attitude during the hearings, and assessments regarding his future. This decision caused controversy both among the victim's family and the public.

Following the announcement of the verdict, both the lawyers for the family of Pınar Bulunmaz and the defense appealed the ruling to the Gaziantep Regional Administrative Court. The parties requested the reversal of the decision for different reasons regarding both the severity of the sentence and the applied good conduct reduction.

The Gaziantep Regional Administrative Court, which reviewed the case file, ruled that there was no unlawfulness in the decision rendered by the local court. The court evaluated and rejected the objections of both the defendant and the complainant sides separately. Thus, the life imprisonment sentence given by the Siverek Heavy Penal Court, along with the applied good conduct reduction, was upheld.

The appeals court also ruled for the continuation of the defendant's detention. With this decision, while the detention status of Rıdvan B. continues, the judgment given in the file was also finalized by a higher judicial authority.

'Reductions lead to impunity'

Pınar Bulunmaz's lawyer, Okan Altekin, evaluated the decision for bianet:

"Rejecting the objections of the defendant is positive, of course. I hope the Court of Cassation upholds this as well. We have objections.

"We can say that the applications of reducation for 'good conduct' and 'provocation' make the fight against impunity difficult. Applying a good conduct reduction to the defendant without showing any justification is unlawful. 

"This person misled the court from the very beginning, made contradictory statements, and said 'I did not beat my wife,' but many reports showed that he battered Pınar. Therefore, when we evaluate all of these, the application of a good conduct reduction is unlawful.

"This defendant should be given an aggravated life imprisonment sentence. Although the decision is incomplete in this aspect, it is positive that he received a sentence for a crime against a spouse."

(EMK/VK)