The 5th hearing of the lawsuit filed against Murat A., the police officer who battered Zeycan Balcı, a member of the Contemporary Lawyers Association (ÇHD), was held at the Istanbul 22nd Criminal Court of First Instance in Çağlayan. Balcı and many lawyers were present at the hearing.

 

'HEAVY PENALTY' REQUEST

 

Speaking at the hearing, Atty. Gül Altay said, “There is a crime of torture committed against a lawyer. The action taken against the Balcı in front of the courthouse constitutes the crime of torture. Those who were present at that press release were tried and acquitted. We demand that the file to be sent to the high criminal court by giving a decision of non-jurisdiction ”.

 

 

'THAT'S ME IN THE PHOTO' 

 

Defendant Murat A repeated his previous statement and told that he won't add anything.

 

Lawyer İbrahim Ergün asked Murat A. whether he was the one in the photographs numbered 5 and 6 in the yellow circle in the expert report dated 16 May 2016 in the file.

 

The defendant Murat A. said that he was the person in the photos.

 

Later, Attorney Güray Dağ was heard as a witness. Dağ said: "We were arm in arm with Attorney Balcı. I witnessed the battery. When I turned my back asking what he was doing, I was also battered. Then we found Balcı on the ground, unable to move. I remember the defendant's face. He was in the group that attacked us."

 

Another witness Mehmet Can Koyuncu repeated his previous statement and told that they took Balcı to the hospital after that.

 

The defendant's lawyer, on the other hand, stated that they did not accept the report of the Forensic Medicine Institute and said: "Let the witnesses be heard at the hearing. We request the radio records of the riot police on duty that day. We can produce witness İsmail the next hearing.

 

The court decided to hear witness İsmail Güvendiren again and adjourned the hearing to 28 December.