Student Who Spent One Year Behind Bars Sentenced to 5 Months in Prison

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The case of Berkay Ustabaş, a student at the İstanbul University Department of Sociology and Secretary-General of the Revolutionary Youth Associations (DGD), was concluded today (April 15).

The 26th Heavy Penal Court at the İstanbul Courthouse found Ustabaş guilty for "attending to, staging, and managing, illegal gatherings and demonstration marches" and "attending to gatherings and marches with tools that are stated in the Article 23 (of the Turkish Penal Code)."

In the bill of indictment, Ustabaş was accused of attending the 2013 Gezi Park protests and the funeral of Berkin Elvan, a 14-year-old boy who was killed by the police during the protests.

Sentencing Ustabaş to 6 months in prison, the court ruled that his sentence should be reduced by one-sixth "considering his past, and attitude and behavior during the period of trial."

"Is this justice?"

Ulaş has been sentenced to 5 months in prison, and the court ruled the period he stayed arrested shall be reduced from his prison term.

Moreover, the court ruled that the sentence shall be adjourned for one year. This means that if Ustabaş was not taken under arrest, he would not go to behind bars because of this sentence.

Making a statement on social media after the verdict, Ustabaş said, "They gave a verdict of a 5-month prison term in the case I have been arrested for one year. After the F-Type (prison), torture, exile and prohibitions, a 'sentence' that is less than the half of the period I had been arrested: İs this justice?"

What happened?

Police officers of special operations department raided the house of Revolutionary Youth Associations (DGD) Secretary General Berkay Ustabaş on December 20, 2017.

Ustabaş, who is also a student at İstanbul University Department of Sociology and was not at home during the police raid, was arrested at the İstanbul Çağlayan Courthouse, where he went to make his deposition on January 5, 2018. Ustabaş was first sent to the Silivri Prison, then to the Kırıkkale Type F Prison.

In the indictment issued by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, Ustabaş was charged with "organizing, leading and participating in unlawful meetings and demonstrations", "attending meetings or demonstrations with arms" and "being a member of an armed terrorist organization."

In the indictment, it was also indicated that he was a part of the group who protested before and after the funeral of Berkin Elvan, who lost his life due to a pepper gas cartridge fired by a police officer during the Gezi Park Protests in 2013.

The indictment also recounted that Ustabaş participated in the Gezi Park protests and was detained along with 72 others on June 11, 2013 and released later on.

(AS/VK)