Turkey jails policeman over protester’s killing

Trial seen as crucial test of authorities’ willingness to prosecute police excesses

ATurkish policeman was jailed for seven years and nine months yesterday after being convicted of shooting dead a protester during 2013 anti- government protests.

The trial of Ahmet Sahbaz was seen as a crucial test of the authorities’ willingness to prosecute police brutality as protesters defied Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government.

The court found Sahbaz guilty of killing of 26- year- old Ethem Sarisuluk in Ankara last year during clashes between police and protesters.

The verdict sparked tumultuous scenes in the courtroom, with supporters of the victim shouting “murderer state” and slamming the judge for being too lenient.

“There is nothing more to say. The justice system bolstered the murder. This proves it is legitimate to kill people on the street,” Sarisuluk’s brother Mustapha told AFP.

He said that the family would appeal the verdict.

The victim’s supporters initially applauded the verdict when the court announced a life sentence for murder. However, as is customary under Turkish law, Sahbaz received reductions to his sentence due to attenuating circumstances, as the court agreed he was provoked by the protesters.

Bloody crackdown

Protesters gathered outside the courthouse where they shouted: “We are all Ethem!” and “Mothers’ anger will drown the murderers”.

Sarisuluk was one of at least eight protesters killed nationwide in the bloody police crackdown during the protests against Erdogan’s government.

At an emotionally- charged verdict hearing earlier, Sahbaz described how he had been pelted with stones by protesters and said he had been going through emotional turmoil since the killing. “You cannot understand the fear, panic inside me since the trial began in September 2013,” he told the court.

“I am a 28-year- old man trying to make a living. There can be no device that measures the storm inside me,” he said.

His defence sparked uproar in the courtroom with the victim’s sister shouting: “Do you remember you killed my brother?” Sahbaz said he fired two shots in the air and the third hit the protester because of the chaos at the scene.