Mark Gobell
On Gardening Leave
Joined: 24 Jul 2006
Posts: 4529
|
 Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 4:46 pm Post subject: Istanbul bombings November 2003: Trial Verdicts |
 |
|
| Quote: | 7 receive life sentences in Istanbul bombings
By Laura King
Los Angeles Times
MURAD SEZER / AP
ISTANBUL, Turkey — A Turkish court handed down life sentences Friday to seven men, all accused of having links to al-Quaida, in connection with truck bombings that ripped through central Istanbul in November 2003, killing nearly 60 people.
Dozens of other defendants received lighter sentences, ranging from three to 18 years, for their role in bloody bombings days apart that targeted two synagogues, the British Consulate and a London-based bank.
Pandemonium erupted in the cramped, low-ceilinged courtroom as the sentences were announced by the black-robed chief judge.
"A long sojourn in hell for infidels!" shouted one of the convicted men, Fevzi Yitiz.
"God is great!" cried another.
Prior to the sentencing, one of the principal defendants, Harun Ilhan, harangued the court for five hours with a scorching denunciation of Western mores and the secular Turkish authorities who put him on trial.
"There is a war between my world and your world," said Ilhan, the only defendant to confess to a role in the bomb plot. "I am a prisoner of war. ... You can kill me, but you cannot judge me."
Among those receiving life sentences was Louai Sakka, a Syrian accused as the mastermind and chief financier of the bombings. He also made a defiant statement to the court before the sentencing.
"We are close to victory," he proclaimed. "I'll win my freedom and once again join the jihad."
Of the 74 men who were put on trial, 26 were acquitted. Some had been caught up in what their lawyers described as an indiscriminate sweep after the bombings. The attacks traumatized Turkey at a time when the notion of Muslims killing other Muslims in terror attacks was an unfamiliar and shocking one.
Security for the trial, which had dragged on through nearly 30 court sessions, was extremely heavy. Riot police massed outside the court, which is designated for trying the most serious crimes. Sharpshooters were stationed on nearby rooftops, and helicopters buzzed overhead.
Inside the courtroom, the defendants, who were clad in street clothes and unshackled, sat jammed together on wooden benches, flanked by ranks of green-uniformed gendarmes.
Defense lawyers for those convicted said they would appeal the sentences, citing what they called procedural and other errors by the court. "My client was not allowed to mount a genuine defense," said Mehmet Selcuk, who represented Ilhan.
The defense team consisted of more than a dozen lawyers, some appointed by the Turkish bar and many representing multiple clients.
Turkey has no death penalty, but the life sentences handed down called for serving at least 30 years without parole. Some of them were designated as "heavy" terms, with a stipulation of solitary confinement.
A three-judge panel presided over the trial. The Turkish legal system does not provide for jury trials or allow for cross-examination. |
BBC article
Wikipedia article
The convictions are finally delivered 1190 days after the first bombing.
_________________
The Medium is the Massage - Marshall McLuhan. |
|
PaulStott
Relentless Limpet Shill
Joined: 13 Jul 2006
Posts: 326
Location: All Power To The People, No More Power To The Pigs
|
| Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2007 9:20 am Post subject: |
|
|
| rodin wrote: | | Do we have any false flag lowdown on this bombing? |
Ever considered the possibility, for a moment, there might not be any? |
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Chat
Usergroups
Calendar
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
