Sunday, February 19, 2012

No discharge for policeman who killed student

Gultekin Sahin, a 45-year-old police officer who has been jailed pending trial with the allegation that the shot dead 21-year-old college student Serzan Kurt had applied, once again, to the high criminal court in Eskisehir (Eskisehir 1. Agir Ceza Mahkemesi) in order to be discharged from potential imprisonment up to 36 years.

The argument put forth by Sahin's lawyers is reported to have included the sentence: "He is a policeman after all; what was he supposed to do to those throwing stones? Hand them flowers?"

Sahin's plea for discharge was rejected again. Serzan Kurt, a sophomore at Mugla University, had died in hospital after having been critically wounded on May 12, 2010 in Mugla.