Eight people who were arrested during the curfews declared in Derik district of Mardin (Mêrdîn) in Turkey in November and December 2015 were sentenced to lengthy terms of imprisonment.

The hearing took place in Mardin’s 2nd High Penal Court on 23 November and the prisoners attended the hearing via the use of Sound and Video Information System (SEGBIS) technology, even though they were still present in prison. After the prosecutor provided his opinion, the court made its decision.

Heavy sentences

Politician Aladin Ecer was sentenced to twelve years imprisonment on the charge of ‘organization membership’. Gebar Denli received a ten and a half year prison sentence. Suphi Söylemez received twelve years and Barış Aksın was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment on the charge of attempting to “end the unity of the state and the country” and thirteen years and four months on the charge of a deliberate attempt to kill.

Doğan Özbahçeci received aggravated life imprisonment on the charge of attempting to “end the unity of the state and the country” and eight years in prison on the charge of a deliberate attempt to kill as well as one year, ten months and fifteen days on the charge of organizational propaganda. Fırat Özdemir was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment on the charge of attempting to “end the unity of the state and the country” and given twelve years and six months in prison on the charge of a deliberate attempt to kill as well as six years and three months on the charge of storing hazardous material and seven years six months on the charge of deprivation of liberty.

Mehmet Ejder Tur was also sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment on the charge of attempting to “end the unity of the state and the country” and fifteen years and six months on the charge of a deliberate attempt to kill as well as seven years and six months on the charge of storing hazardous material. Serhat Dursun received an aggravated life imprisonment sentence based on the charge of attempting to “end the unity of the state and the country” as well as a 13 years and four months sentence on a charge of a deliberate attempt to kill someone. The court determined that the aforementioned remain under arrest.