Ministry Returns Parliamentary Question on Imprisoned Student Korkmaz

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The Parliamentary question previously submitted by Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Siirt MP Meral Danış Beştaş about imprisoned student Baran Barış Korkmaz sentenced to 59 years prison with the statement of an anonymous witness has been returned to her by the Speaker's Office.

CLICK - 59-Year Prison Sentence of Arrested Student Korkmaz Upheld

The Speaker's Office has returned the Parliamentary question on the ground that "no questions shall be addressed to the Legislative Assembly regarding the use of judicial power in an ongoing case... It has been concluded that 'questions as to issues whose only purpose is to counsel' will not be accepted by the Ministry of Justice."

CLICK - Imprisoned University Student Korkmaz: Are You Still Surprised?

In her Parliamentary question addressed to Minister of Justice Abdülhamit Gül, Danış Beştaş previously asked, "Is it a true allegation that while Baran Barış Korkmaz was in infirmary of the prison, a person held in a ward near him said, 'Poor kid, he is so young. His hands are clean, we organized it together with Tunceli intelligence'? Was this allegation investigated?,

"How could the statement of a witness who incriminated Baran Barış Korkmaz, but could not describe how he looked, be so effective on the result of the trial? What is the explanation for why a single person was penalized instead of searching the truths and collecting evidence?,

"Is the 59-year prison sentence given to Baran Barış in compliance with the government's understanding of justice?"

What happened?

Baran Barış Korkmaz, a senior student at the Department of International Relations of Aydın Adnan Menderes University, went to Pertek in Dersim to visit his family. Upon a report that a propane cylinder was brought to the garden of a neighbor of theirs to prepare a bomb, the police came to the garden and found the cylinder there.

As the anonymous witness alleged that it was Korkmaz who brought the cylinder there, his house was raided by the police. Korkmaz and three other people were detained. Korkmaz was arrested on charge of "membership of a terrorist organization". He has been in prison for almost three years.

In his final hearing, Korkmaz was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment and 59 years in prison. Approving his prison sentence, the court sent his case file to Erzurum Court of Appeal, which upheld his prison sentence. Korkmaz is now arrested in Elazığ No. 1 High-Security Prison to serve his prison sentence of 59 years in total. (RT/SD)