Acquitted three times before, the retrial of Pınar Selek began today. Prosecutor Yılmaz Kıstı once again asked for life imprisonment for Selek.
The retrial of sociologist Selek has begun at the Istanbul 15. High Criminal Court. Many lawyers and observers including Selek’s lawyer and father Alp Selek attended the hearing. Public Prosecutor asked for life imprisonment for Selek. Taking the floor at the meeting, Bahri Belen, one of Selek’s lawyers, reminded the court that Selek had been acquitted three times before, and requested time to prepare a detailed defence.
The court set December 19 as the date for the next hearing.
Platform asks for final acquittal for Pınar Selek
Hala Tanığız Platformu, the We Are Still Witnesses Platform, made a press statement in front of the Çağlayan Courthouse before the hearing for the retrial of Pınar Selek, and demanded a decision of final acquittal for Pınar Selek from the court. The prosecutor’s opinion will be read out at the hearing.
Füsun Demirel read out the platform’s press statement, voicing the platform’s demand for a decision of final acquittal for Pınar Selek who has been acquitted three times during the 16-year trial process.
“Not for a single person, but for our right to justice and freedom”
The We Are Still Witnesses platform said the following in its statement:
“Today is a new stage in the Pınar Selek case, that has been continuing for 16 years. As you will remember, at the most recent hearing, held on October 3, the Istanbul 15. High Criminal Court ruled for compliance with the reversal decision and lifted the imprisonment ruling, and also quashed the arrest warrant for Selek. Today, we will hear the opinion and requests of the Prosecutor’s Office.”
“Yet what we expect is something entirely different. We want to see Pınar here among us, and walk with her in solidarity in different fields, for different causes, so we can live, and create.”
“As we have said for 16 years, our struggle is not for a single person, but for our right to justice and freedom. So we can believe in this country, and consider it our homeland. We are here until a decision of final acquittal.”
Selek acquitted three times before
On trial for 16 years in relation to the Mısır Çarşısı explosion, Pınar Selek had been sentenced to life imprisonment at the hearing on 24 January 2013; however, the 9th Penal Department of the Supreme Court of Appeals had reversed the judgment on appeal. The retrial had begun on October 3, and the court had ruled for compliance with the reversal decision, and had also quashed the arrest warrant for Selek.
