Court acquits 12 people who attacked fashion designer Barbaros Şansal at airport
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The court has handed down its ruling in the trial over the lynch attempt against fashion designer Barbaros Şansal at İstanbul Atatürk Airport.
Deported from Northern Cyprus on January 2, Şansal was sent to Turkey on January 2, 2017. He was attacked by a group of people while leaving the plane before he was taken into custody by the police.
At the final hearing of the case held at the İstanbul Bakırköy 26th Criminal Court of First Instance in the morning today (January 7), the prosecutor's office pronounced its final opinion as to the accusations.
Considering that Şansal had withdrawn his criminal complaint against them, the prosecutor's office demanded that the charges of "insult" and "deliberate injury" against Sefa T. and Gökhan U. be dropped. The office also requested their acquittal of "threat" due to lack of evidence.
The prosecutor's office demanded that the other 12 defendants be sentenced to 4 months to 1 year in prison for "deliberate injury".
Handing down its ruling, the court board has ruled that Gökhan U. and Sefa T. shall be acquitted of "threat" on the grounds of a lack of definitive and credible evidence and that the charges of "actual bodily harm" and "insult" shall be dropped as the involving party withdrew his complaint.
Defendant Yasin B. has been sentenced to pay a judicial fine of 125 days on charge of "actual bodily harm". Sentencing B. to a judicial fine of 2.500 Turkish Lira (20 Turkish Lira per day), the court board has ruled that the pronouncement of the verdict shall be suspended.
The court has ruled that the 10 defendants shall be acquitted of "actual bodily harm", "insult" and "threat" on the grounds that "no definitive and credible evidence free from all types of suspicions has been obtained to suggest that the defendants committed the offenses charged."
Barbaros Şansal has announced the court ruling on his social media account, saying, "Good morning, Turkey! 11 TGS [Turkish Ground Services] workers on trial who launched a deadly lynch attempt against me in an organized manner at the apron on Atatürk Airport on January 2, 2017 were acquitted at the Bakırköy 26th Criminal Court of First Instance this morning!"
What happened?
On December 31, 2016, Barbaros Şansal posted a video on social media and criticized people for celebrating the new year in a period when several journalists were detained and there were widespread allegations of corruption and child abuse. "Drown in your shit, Turkey," he said.
Deported from Northern Cyprus on January 2, Şansal was sent to Turkey on January 2, 2017. When he arrived in İstanbul Atatürk Airport, he was attacked by a group while leaving the plane before he was taken into custody by the police. He had bruises and cuts in his body as a result.
The assaulters first verbally attacked Şansal by insulting him. While he was trying to get away from them, the crowd attacked him physically. Most of the assaulters were the personnel of the airport.
The assaulters were later indicted by the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and put on trial. The indictment sought 1 year to 5 years in prison for 13 people for "actual bodily harm", "threat" and "insult".
As for Şansal, he was arrested on January 3 and released on March 2. Over his remarks in the video, he was sentenced to 6 months, 20 days in prison as per the Article 301 of the TCK. The sentence has been deferred. (HA/SD)
