Prison personnel sentenced to life for death of inmate
Prison personnel sentenced to life for death of inmate
Engin Çeber died while in state custody as a result of torture. Tuesday the Istanbul 14th High Criminal Court ruled that three guards and a deputy director at the Metris Prison be given life sentences without the possibility of parole for causing the death of an inmate as a result of torture.
Çeber and his friends were taken into custody in Istanbul in early October 2008 for reportedly selling the leftist magazine Yürüyüþ. They were later arrested and sent to Metris Prison, where they were allegedly subjected to torture and the disproportionate use of force by policemen and prison guards.
Çeber was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead there after suffering a brain haemorrhage as a result of head trauma.
Seventeen other defendants in the case were given sentences of up to seven-and-a-half years in prison. The prosecution decided to acquit the remaining 39 suspects.
The Çeber death marked a tragic first in Turkish history as then Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Þahin apologized on behalf of the state and the elected administration for his death.
Çeber and his friends were taken into custody in Istanbul in early October 2008 for reportedly selling the leftist magazine Yürüyüþ. They were later arrested and sent to Metris Prison, where they were allegedly subjected to torture and the disproportionate use of force by policemen and prison guards.
Çeber was taken to a hospital and pronounced dead there after suffering a brain haemorrhage as a result of head trauma.
Seventeen other defendants in the case were given sentences of up to seven-and-a-half years in prison. The prosecution decided to acquit the remaining 39 suspects.
The Çeber death marked a tragic first in Turkish history as then Justice Minister Mehmet Ali Þahin apologized on behalf of the state and the elected administration for his death.
