Two Police Officers Imprisoned and Banned from Profession

Police officers Salih Bahar and Soner Gündoğdu who took Architect Onur Yaser Can into custody under allegations of "possessing narcotic drugs" are sentenced to 2 years 6 months of imprisonment and  banned from profession due to "counterfeiting documents",

The letter Can wrote before his suicide and described how "he was exposed to ill-treatment and his statements were changed" was presented as evidence in İstanbul 6th Criminal Court.

The suicide note was fake according to the lawyer of the Police officers!

Onur Yaser Can's mother Hatice Can, his father Mevlüt Can and his friends attended the hearing court.

Lawyer of Can family Ercan Kanar asked the court to have a criminal complaint against Narchotics Branch Manager Cengiz Melbeyoğlu, police commissioner Hakan Aydın and police officers Muhammet Ongun, Şükrü Velioğlu, Yunus Başay and Onur Ülker.

"Although the crime seems "counterfeiting documents" officially, this crime cost a human life. In order to prevent such crimes, we believe it's very important and necessary the court to have a criminal complaint against them in a state of law based on human rights" told Kanar.

The defendants' lawyer repeated that the police officers did not counterfeit the documents and demanded their acquittal. Lawyer Ahmet Baran Akkaya claimed that Can's suicide note was fake.

The court decreed on imprisonment of police officers Bahar and Gündoğdu for 3 years (which is a lower limit) due to "counterfeiting documents". They got good conduct abatement and they were sentenced to imprisonment of 2 years 3 months.

As "counterfeiting documents" is in the category of infamous crime, the police officers will not be able work as police officers any more.

Can's family will appeal to ECHR on charge of torture

Can was taken into police custody on 2 June 2010 because he had supposedly bought marijuana. He was eventually released after he had given his statement. Two days later, he was called to the Narcotics Branch again because of "missing information in the documents". That time, he went to the police, signed the documents he was given and left again.

Can claimed that he was exposed to ill treatment in police custody and that he had to fully undress when he was searched before he gave his statement. He told his friends that his "psyche had been destroyed". Can committed suicide on 23 June when he got to know that he was summoned to the police for the third time.

His family complained about the police officers and also about the doctors who in their opinion intervened too late after Can had committed suicide.

They had filed a criminal complaint against the police officers of the Vatan Rd. Narcotics Branch (Istanbul) by reasons of "torture, ill-treatment, sexual abuse and misconduct in office". However, the prosecutor decided to drop procedures.

Can's family stated that since domestic remedies have been exhausted, they would apply to the ECHR. (AS)