25 October | Kayseri|Kayseri Court sentences Murat Sen who is professor of law, twelve years in prison
Murat Sen, professor of law and the last dean of the dissolved Meliksah University Law School has been sentenced to twelve years under Turkey’s Ant-Terrorism Law. After the Melikşah University has been dissolved along with fourteen other universities under an emergency decree, an arrest warrant was issued for Murat Sen who is a lawyer, professor of law, and the last dean of Law School of Meliksah University.
Professor Sen was taken into custody in his father-in-law’s house and subsequently arrested. After the trial that was lasted in ten months, Kayseri 2nd High Assize Court sentenced Professor Sen to 12 years with the accusation of being the member of an armed terrorist organization.
Professor Şen has presented more than 60 papers national and international conferences and scientific meetings. He wrote 7 books and more than 70 scientific journal articles.
17 October | Manisa|Eleven lawyers have been convicted of terrorism charges
Manisa 3rd High Assize Court sentences 11 lawyers to long imprisonment after two-year trial. Members of Manisa Bar Associations Ali Özcel, İsa Koşar, Besim Yücel, Gökhan Çelik, Kadir Çelik, Hüseyin Azman, Yalçın Cabar, Haluk Bedel, Hasan Gürhan Onat, Sadettin Yılmaz, and former president of Bar Association, Zeynel Balkız who were first taken into custody on August 2016 were sentenced under the article 314/2 of Turkish Penal Code that punishes membership to an armed terrorist organization.
The Court sentenced,
- lawyer Zeynel Balkız to 2 years and 1 month,
- lawyers Gökhan Çelik, Kadir Çelik, Hüseyin Azman, Yalçın Cabar to 6¼ years,
- lawyers Ali Özcel, İsa Koşar, Besim Yücel to 6 years and 10 months,
- lawyers Haluk Bedel, Hasan Gürhan Onat, Sadettin Yılmaz to 7½ years,
Photo: Seven of the convicted lawyers
The Court also decided to keep lawyers Hasan Gürhan Onat and Sadettin Yılmaz in remand during the appeal procedure.
8 October | Afyon|Two lawyers were convicted of terrorism charges.
Afyon High Assize Court sentenced lawyer Yucel Akdag to ten years, and lawyer Buseyne Kahraman one years and seven months in prison under the article 314/2 of Turkish Penal Code that punishes membership to an armed terrorist organization.
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- Lawyer Yucel Akdag
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- Lawyer Buseyne Kahraman
8 October | Sanliurfa|Lawyer Emin Baran was convicted of terrorism related accusation.
Lawyer Emin Baran who is the board member of Sanliurfa Bar Association was sentenced to one year and nine months in prison due to newspaper and magazine found in his law office. Victim lawyer Mr Baran was arrested on February 2017 because of possessing a pro-Gulenist newspaper and a pro-Kurdish magazine in his office and subsequently was indicted.
After the trial procedure, lawyer Mr Baran has been sentenced to one year and nine months in prison because of aiding and abetting the terrorism.
According to data compiled by the Arrested Lawyers Initiative, 592 lawyers have been arrested since the July of 2016, moreover, 197 of those lawyers have been sentenced to long imprisonment, ranging from 2 to 14 years with the charge of being the member of an armed terrorist organisation.
Categories: Unjust / Wrongful Convictions, Weekly Newsletters