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The court has given its ruling in the trial over the violations of animal rights at the Elazığ Temporary Animal Care Home in eastern Turkey.
Facing charges over the related rights violations, animal care home workers had their final hearing today (March 29).
As was also the case at the previous hearings, the court board rejected the requests for interfering in the trial raised by the Yaşamdan Yana (On the Side of Life) Association, Animal Rights and Ethics Association, Konya Bar Association, Elazığ Bar Association and Türkan Ceylan.
The court has sentenced the defendants to 6 months in prison on the lower limit, charging them with "misconduct in office".
While the prison sentences of the defendants have been reduced due to their "good conduct", the announcement of the verdict has also been deferred by the court. Animal rights advocates have defined this penalty as "unacceptable", considering that thousands of animals lost their lives. They have announced that they will lodge an appeal against the local court ruling.
Contradictory statements
Before the final hearing began today, there were a team of 10 riot police officers in front of the court hall. The lawyers from the Konya and Elazığ Bars were not allowed in the hall. After they said they would submit the bars' requests for intervening in the trial, they could enter. They said that they were treated like defendants and were not even allowed to check their phones.
The defendants requested yesterday that five people be heard as witnesses and submitted an expert opinion indicating that it was natural for cats to eat kittens. Two of the five witnesses were heard at the hearing and the witnesses reportedly make contradictory statements.
The first witness said that s/he was hired after the incident in question had happened. After what s/he said about the scheme of things contradicted what the other witnesses said, s/he stated that both statements were true in response to the question of the judge.
Both witnesses said that there is currently no problem at the care home. However, animal rights activists had visited the care home before the previous hearing, proved that the related animal rights violations were still in place and filed a new criminal complaint about the issue.
Defendants' lawyer accused the volunteers
Though the animal protection volunteers presented concrete documents as to their material damage, their requests for intervening in the trial were rejected again. Speaking at the hearing, the lawyer of the defendants argued that "all volunteers who filed a complaint are on trial because of charity collection and all have huge amounts of money in their bank accounts".
Moreover, while the witnesses stated that animals might have lost their lives in traffic accidents, the examination reports contained some findings indicating that the animals had died of neglect.
After hearing the statements of the sides and witnesses, the court board has ruled that the defendants shall be sentenced to 6 months in prison on the lower limit for "misconduct in office". Animal rights advocates will reportedly lodge an appeal against the ruling. (EMK/SD)
