Turkish police officer facing 24 years in prison for torture still kept on active duty

Duvar English

A lawsuit was filed against a Turkish police officer who used brute violence against a detained person in Istanbul's Beyoğlu district, resulting in the removal of one of the detainee's testicles due to a knee strike. 

Although the police officer faced 24 years imprisonment on the charge of torture, he remains on active duty at the Beyoğlu Juvenile Bureau Directorate. 

Surveillance footage from the police station capturing the physical violence against the detainee as well. 

According to the detainee, he was detained after a a quarrel with the people who stole his property and he had tried to explain the situation to the police officers yet, he could not make them listen.

The detainee, who suffered a testicular injury during the police beating, was not allowed to go to the hospital until his statement was taken even though he expressed severe pain.

Following his statement, the detainee was taken to the hospital as a procedural step, but doctors promptly recognized the severity of his condition, and he underwent emergency surgery. One of his testicles had to be surgically removed due to the extensive damage.

The police, on the other hand, claimed that he "neutralized the detainee by using proportionate force in a gradual manner to break his resistance and that there was no intention to harm him.”

Prosecutor stated in the indictment that the police officer began to brutally attack the detainee in the testimony room one minute after he was brought there and other officers had to take him out of the room, according to surveillance footage.

According to the forensic medical report, it was stated that the detainee was injured in such a way that his life would be in danger and there would be permanent loss of function in one of his limbs.

The indictment underlined that the detainee did not actually attack the police, the police increased their violence and continued the action despite the intervention of other officers.

The prosecutor demanded jail sentence from 6 years to 24 years for the defendant police officer on the charge of torture.

The first hearing of the case has been recently held and the police officer requested additional time to prepare his defense “as he was still on active duty” and this request was granted.