On 18 April, Tilman Ekkhart Geske, Necati Aydin and Ugur Yüksel were murdered in their office in Malatya. They worked for Zirve Publications, which publishes books relating to Christianity.
The trial of seven people accused of involvement in their murder starts at the Malatya Heavy Penal Court in southeastern Turkey on 23 November. The case is considered an important indication of how Turkey handles crimes committed against people with different religious beliefs or from different social groups, particularly after the murders of priest Andrea Santoro in Trabzon last year and journalist Hrant Dink in Istanbul this year.
Investigation biased
Judging from the 32 investigation files which have been sent to the joint plaintiffs, it seems that the investigation has focused on "missionary activities" rather than the murders. Bianet has been told that only seven or eight of the folders are concerned with the murder, while the others focus on missionary work.
For instance, the files take note of the people the three murdered men met with since 2005, and gives a detailed account of their activities. The same attention to detail has not been displayed in the reports on the murder suspects.
Five of the defendants have been in detention since the attack; they are accused of “founding and being members of a terrorist group”, “killing people as part of the terrorist activities”, and “depriving people of their freedom”. Emre G., Salih G., Cuma Ö., Abuzer Y. and Hamit C. are the five detained defendants.
Kürsat K. and Mehmet G. are going to be tried without detention for “being members of an armed organisation.” The indictment calls for prison sentences from five to ten years.
Further suspects M.T., A.K., M.U., M.Ö. and T.I. have also been released from detention but will be tried, too.
Heavy punishments demanded
Emre G. was found at the scene of crime immediately after the murder and tried to escape by jumping out of a third-floor window. After receiving treatment for his injuries, he has been in detention and is accused of planning the attack. Under Article 314/1 of theTurkish Penal Code, the “leadership of an armed organisation” is to be punished with ten to fifteen years imprisonment. Under Article 82/1-a, which refers to the “planned, deliberate killing of a person”, the indictment is calling for three life sentences in solitary confinement for each of the five detained suspects.
According to the indictment written by Malatya Public Prosecutors Mehmet Badem and Ömer Tetik, the five detained suspects will also be punished for violating the immunity of the work place. (EÖ/NZ/AG)
