Istanbul 12th High Criminal Court upheld journalist-writer Erdal Süsem’s life sentence again despite a rights-violation ruling by the Constitutional Court and a reversal decision by the Court of Cassation. At the hearing on 6 October, the court ruled that there was no reason to alter Süsem’s conviction dated 20 April 2009 and ordered continued execution of the sentence. Süsem was detained in 2000 over armed actions and murder charges stemming from 1999 and said he had been tortured during the proceedings and questioned without a lawyer. On 13 September 2022, the Constitutional Court found that his right to legal assistance had been violated and ordered a retrial. Istanbul 12th High Criminal Court upheld the life sentence again in 2023, while the Court of Cassation 3rd Criminal Chamber overturned the ruling on 9 April 2025. At the latest hearing, Süsem and his lawyer Vahdet Sinan Yerlikaya requested acquittal and release, saying witnesses had not been heard, evidence had not been sufficiently investigated and the right to defense had been violated. The court rejected requests to collect additional evidence and ruled that even if statements taken without a lawyer were excluded, the remaining evidence was sufficient for conviction. Süsem, who had been in prison for about 25 years, was given the right to appeal the ruling.
13 October 2026
bianet