In the Gezi trial, the prosecutor has pronounced the final opinion as to the accusations between the hearings.
At the previous hearing at the İstanbul 13th High Criminal Court, the court board ruled that the file should be sent to the prosecutor's office so that the opinion as to the accusations would be prepared.
As reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), the prosecutor's office has presented the opinion between the hearings.
Kavala, Yapıcı face aggravated life sentence
The prosecutor has demanded that defendants Osman Kavala, who has been arrested for 1,586 days, and Mücella Yapıcı be sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment on charge of "attempting to abolish the government of the Republic of Turkey by using force and violence".
Referring to Osman Kavala, the prosecutor has also requested that "his imprisonment over the crime that he committed as per the Article 312 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) continue, considering the current stage of the trial, the current state of evidence and the existence of a flight risk in the face of the sentence likely to be handed down if found guilty."
The Article 312 of the TCK says, "Any person attempting, by the use of force and violence, to abolish the government of the Republic of Turkey or to prevent it, in part or in full, from fulfilling its duties, shall be sentenced to a penalty of aggravated life imprisonment. Where any other offence is committed during the commission of this offence, an additional penalty shall be imposed according to the relevant provisions."
Up to 20 years in prison
In the opinion as to the accusations, the prosecutor has demanded that other defendants Çiğdem Mater, Ali Hakan Altınay, Mine Özerden, Şerafettin Can Atalay, Tayfun Kahraman and Yiğit Ali Ekmekçi be sentenced to 15 to 20 years in prison each for "assistance to the attempted abolishment of the government of the Republic of Turkey by using force and violence".
Referring to the fugitive defendants Ayşe Pınar Alabora, Henry Jack Barkey, Can Dündar, Gökçe Yılmaz, Handan Meltem Arıkan, Hanzade Hikmet Germiyanoğlu, Mehmet Ali Alabora, Yiğit Aksakoğlu and İnanç Ekmekçi, the prosecutor has requested that their file be separated from this file and the execution of the warrants issued against them be awaited.
At the previous hearing held by the İstanbul 13th High Criminal Court on February 21, 2022, the court board ruled that Osman Kavala's arrest should continue and the file of the çArşı case, which had been previously merged with the Gezi trial, should be separated again.
The next hearing will be held on March 21 at 10 am.
