Defendant of Reyhanlı Case Sentenced to Life Imprisonment Aggravated for 53 Times

* Photograph: Anadolu Agency

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Yusuf Nazik, who was tried by the Ankara 9th Heavy Penal Court for having planned the Reyhanlı attack, has been sentenced to life imprisonment aggravated for 53 times in his final hearing.

On May 11, 2013, two bomb-laden vehicles launched an attack in the district of Reyhanlı, Hatay, bordering Syria. The attack claimed the lives of 52 people and wounded 155 others. The 33-defendant main case filed into the attack was concluded on February 23, 2018. The Ankara 9th Heavy Penal Court sentenced each one of nine defendants to life imprisonment aggravated for 53 times and 4 thousand 32 years in prison.

The case files of eight fugitive defendants, including Mihraç Ural, were separated from the others. Nazik was also one of the defendants whose file was separated. It was announced in September 2018 that fugitive defendant Nazik was caught in Latakia in Syria in an operation launched by the National Intelligence Service (MİT) of Turkey.

The final hearing of Nazik was held today (May 13). Nazik has been sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for "disrupting the unity and integrity of the state" and to life imprisonment aggravated for 52 times for "killing 52 people for purposes of terror." That being the case, Nazik has been given a life sentenced aggravated for 53 times in total.

From the indictment: Attack was known beforehand

Three days before the attack in Reyhanlı, it was known by the Hatay Provincial Security Directorate that there was a possibility of a bomb attack to be launched by 34-year-old Yusuf Nazik from Hatay.

According to the indictment of Reyhanlı case, "an anonymous person" called the Security Directorate three days before the attack, on May 8, 2013 and said that "s/he saw the bombs with her/his own eyes."

It is indicated in the bill of indictment that even though there was information regarding the imminent Reyhanlı attack, it could not be prevented "despite all works and precautions." (AS/SD)