Berkin Elvan, a 14-year-old teenager, was injured by a tear gas canister on the sidelines of the Gezi protests in Istanbul and died after nine months in a coma. His parents were now sentenced to prison for “insulting the president”.
Berkin Elvan was 14 and just wanted to get bread when he was injured in the head by a tear gas canister on the sidelines of the Gezi protests in Istanbul in June 2013. After 269 days in a coma, the boy died on 11 March 2014 at the age of 15.
The verdict came out in the lawsuit filed against Berkin Elvan's mother, Gülsüm Elvan, and father, Sami Elvan, for “insulting the President”.
The court sentenced Sami Elvan to 1 year and 2 months, Gülsüm Elvan to 11 months and 20 days and decided to defer the announcement of the verdict.
Father Sami Elvan said the following before leaving the courtroom: “My life has changed in 11 years, and I am still longing for my child. I leave the verdict to your conscience.”
