In the final hearing of the case regarding the death of Berkin Elvan, who was murdered during the Gezi protests, police officer Fatih Dalgalı was given a life sentence. The sentence was then reduced to 16 years and 8 months.
The Istanbul 17th Heavy Penal Court announced its verdict in the case of the murder of Berkin Elvan. The court sentenced police officer Fatih Dalgalı to 16 years and 8 months in prison on charge of "killing with eventual intent".
However, the court has not arrested the police officer, imposing on him just a ban to travel abroad.
The court first ruled that the defendant should be given a life sentence for the charge of wilful killing, then reduced the sentence to 20 years arguing that there was eventual intent. And eventually the court ruled that the prison sentence shall be reduced to 16 years, 8 months.
The attorneys of the Elvan family demanded that the police officer be sentenced for "wilful killing."
Defendant Fatih Dalgalı said that he did not speak much during the trial and demanded his acquittal saying, “I have served my state for 11 years and I still do that.”
Berkin Elvan (14) lost his life on 11 March 2014, 269 days after being shot in the head with a tear gas canister fired by a police officer in İstanbul during the Gezi Park protest.
