Çilem Doğan Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison

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Çilem Doğan put on trial before Adana 10th High Criminal Court has been sentenced to 15 years in prison on charge of murdering a close relative after good conduct abatement.

The sentence has been passed by a majority vote of two members of the board of judges against the one dissenting vote of the chief judge.

Talking to bianet, Fatoş Hacıvelioğlu, one of attorneys of Çilem Doğan has noted that they would lodge an appeal and try bringing the case before the Supreme Court of Appeal.  

Doğan: What else could I have done?

Hacıvelioğlu has cited Çilem Doğan’s words in the hearing:

“They have said that I had to get an interlocutory injunction. I have had nine protection orders issued since then, if there was any protection elso to get, I would have applied for that, what else could I have done?

“I don’t claim that he has sold me to others for prostitution but he has always threatened me with that and this was also the case on the day of the incident”.

“The annotation of the chief judge crucial”

The court has previously sentenced her to aggravated life imprisonment on charges of murder and had later made a good conduct and provocation abatement.  

The chief judge has noted that Doğan had acted in self defence and put the annotation on the verdict that she should thus be acquitted.

Doğan’s attorney Hacıvelioğlu has noted;

“We will lodge an appeal and assume that the Supreme Court of Appeal would reverse the decision. We will request a trial before the Supreme Court with a hearing and will launch a campaign to appear together with all women in the hearing before the Supreme Court and show that we stand by Çilem”.

On July 8, 2015, Çilem Doğan had shot her husband Hasan Karabulut  who had inflicted violence on her and forced her to prostitution to death in their bedroom with his gun, following which she had handed herself in to the police. (BK/DG)