Demirtaş Calls Sentences in Narin Güran Case a 'Legal Tragedy'
Translated from Turkish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
- Former HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş reviewed a court case involving the family of Narin Güran, criticizing heavy sentences given to the mother and uncle.
- Demirtaş argued that the evidence presented does not sufficiently prove the guilt of Yüksel Güran (mother) and Salim Güran (uncle) for aggravated life sentences.
- He asserted that only Nevzat Bahtiyar's guilt was concretely proven and called for the appeals and Supreme Courts to overturn the sentences, citing a "legal tragedy" influenced by public pressure.
Selahattin Demirtaş, the former co-chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), currently imprisoned in Edirne, has reviewed the case of Narin Güran's family, expressing strong criticism of the aggravated life sentences handed down to Narin's mother, Yüksel Güran, and uncle, Salim Güran. Demirtaş, approaching the case from a legal perspective, argued that the evidence within the case file is insufficient to convict them.
Based on the evidence in the case file, the only person whose guilt has been proven with concrete evidence is Nevzat Bahtiyar.
Demirtaş stated that based on his review of the case file, the only individual whose guilt was proven with concrete evidence is Nevzat Bahtiyar. He asserted that the convictions of Yüksel Güran and Salim Güran constitute a "legal tragedy." Demirtaş suggested that intense public pressure, potentially amplified by media coverage, may have overshadowed the court's decision-making process.
Based on the evidence in the case file, the conviction of Narin's mother Yüksel Güran, Narin's brother Enes Güran, and her uncle Salim Güran to aggravated life imprisonment is a complete legal tragedy.
He emphasized a fundamental principle of criminal law: convictions must be based on concrete, irrefutable evidence, not on rumors or probabilities. Citing the principle that "the defendant benefits from doubt," Demirtaş argued that the existing evidence in the file is technically inadequate for sentencing the mother and uncle to aggravated life imprisonment. He maintained that their guilt has not been proven beyond a reasonable doubt according to universal legal principles.
It appears that intense public pressure, shaped by media influence, has overshadowed the court's decision-making process.
Demirtaş called for the appellate and Supreme Courts to overturn these sentences, asserting that the law requires it in the absence of new evidence or confessions. He argued that imposing severe sentences on individuals whose guilt is not proven, solely to satisfy public conscience, is not true justice. Instead, he posited that the real injustice would be for the mother and uncle to remain imprisoned while the actual perpetrators of Narin's murder remain at large. He urged legal circles, including the Diyarbakır Bar Association, to work towards ensuring justice in this case and requested the Ministry of Justice to file a request for the annulment of the verdict with the Supreme Court.
The most fundamental rule of criminal law, aside from personal opinions, is that a conviction must be based on concrete and irrefutable evidence, not on rumors or possibilities.
Originally published by Cumhuriyet in Turkish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.