19-Year-Old Sentenced to Life for Murder in Turkish Arcade

A court in Kayseri, Turkey, has handed down a life sentence to a 19-year-old man convicted of intentionally killing another 19-year-old. The verdict came after a trial at the Kayseri 1st High Criminal Court, where the victim's family and the defendant, C.A.A., were present.

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He was also my brother. I read Yasin for him every day.

During the proceedings, the public prosecutor requested that the defendant be punished for intentional homicide. In his final defense, C.A.A. maintained his innocence, stating that he did not commit the act knowingly and cited psychological problems as a factor. He pleaded for acquittal, adding, "He was also my brother. I read Yasin for him every day."

The victim's mother, H.H.K., recalled that the defendant had sought her forgiveness in a previous hearing. "May my forgiveness be forbidden for him. My son has been under the soil for 7 months," she stated, expressing her enduring pain. The victim's father echoed this sentiment, conveying his daily suffering with the words, "We are dying every day."

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May my forgiveness be forbidden for him. My son has been under the soil for 7 months.

The court, after hearing from all parties, sentenced C.A.A. to life imprisonment for intentional killing. The defendant was visibly emotional, leaving the courtroom in tears following the pronouncement of the sentence. The incident occurred in an arcade in the Hisarcık neighborhood of the Melikgazi district, where an argument between H.H.K. and C.A.A. escalated into a knife fight. H.H.K. succumbed to his injuries after being taken to the hospital, and C.A.A. was apprehended by police shortly after fleeing the scene.

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We are dying every day.