PodcastTurkish prosecutor seeks prison sentence for 43 suspects linked to ISIS Istanbul church attack
The investigation by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office into the ISIS attack on Santa Maria Church, which resulted in one death, has been concluded. The court has accepted the indictment prepared against 43 defendants who face prison sentences ranging from seven years to 349 years.
Duvar English
A Turkish court has accepted the indictment against 43 defendants, including the gunmen, for the Islamic State (ISIS) attack on the Santa Maria Church in Istanbul’s Sarıyer district, in which one person lost his life on Jan. 28, 2024.
All defendants face prison sentences ranging from seven years to 349 years for their involvement with the attack, according to reporting by the daily BirGün.
The indictment was prepared by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Terror and Organized Crimes Investigation Bureau as a result of an investigation against 43 defendants, 31 of whom were arrested.
The indictment previously prepared within the scope of the investigation was rejected by Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court due to missing information.
The new indictment was accepted by the court and the defendants are expected to appear before the judge in the coming months.
Tuncer Cihan, who lost his life in the attack, was named as the victim in the indictment, and 11 people, including the priest of Santa Maria Church Anton Bulai were named as plaintiffs.
The prosecutor charged David Tanduev and Amirjon Kholiqov, the suspects behind the attack, along with Edelkhan Inazhaev and his wife Zharaidat Esmurzieva, with several serious crimes. They face charges of attempting to overthrow the constitutional order of Turkey by force and violence, being members of ISIS, premeditated murder, attempted murder of 11 people, and possession of firearms and ammunition. Prosecutors are seeking two life sentences plus an additional 218 to 349 years in prison for each of them.
Twenty other suspects face similar charges, with possible sentences of two life terms and an additional 217 to 345 years in prison. Inazhaev is also facing charges of forgery, which could result in 3 to 7.5 years in prison. For 18 other suspects, prosecutors are seeking prison terms of 7.5 to 15 years for being members of ISIS.
The indictment requested one aggravated life imprisonment, one life imprisonment and 349 years in prison for the defendant Viskhan Soltamatov, who was alleged to be among the group that held a meeting to carry out the attack on the church.
What happened?
Two masked gunmen killed one person in an armed attack organized against the Santa Maria Church in Istanbul’s Sarıyer district during Sunday mass.
Turkish authorities detained and arrested dozens after the attacked whom they found to be linked to the Khorasan branch of the ISIS.
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