Turkey gives Daesh terrorist 40 life terms for 2017 Istanbul nightclub massacre
A Turkish court has sentenced to life the main suspect in the 2017 New Year’s Eve attack by the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group on a nightclub in the city of Istanbul.
On Monday, Istanbul’s Heavy Penal Court No. 27 gave Abdulkadir Masharipov, an Uzbek national, the equivalent of 40 life sentences without parole for violating the Constitution and deliberately killing 39 people, including a police officer.
It also sentenced Masharipov to a total of 1,368 years for carrying an unlicensed weapon and the attempted murder of 79 people who escaped the assault with injuries.
The same tribunal further sentenced Ilyas Mamasaripov, one of the planners of the attack, to 1,432 years in prison for assisting the murders and attempted murders, among other offenses.
It said 48 other defendants were sentenced to jail terms of varying lengths for membership in a terrorist organization,while eleven other defendants were acquitted of charges.
Early on January 1, 2017, Masharipov opened fire with an automatic rifle at Istanbul’s Reina nightclub, where hundreds were partying to celebrate the New Year. He threw stun grenades to allow himself to reload and shoot the wounded on the ground.
Among those killed were 12 Turkish nationals and 27 foreigners.
Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack at the time, saying it was an act of revenge for Turkey’s military involvement in Syria.
Turkish police arrested Masharipov at a Daesh hideout in Istanbul after a 17-day manhunt, saying he had acted on the terror outfit’s behalf.
He initially admitted guilt for the attack, but later pleaded innocent and disputed the evidence against him.
In his final words of defense on Monday, Masharipov asked to be acquitted, saying his initial testimonies had been taken under “torture and pressure.” He is expected to appeal his conviction.
The indictment included requests from the families of the 39 victims as well as 122 others injured or mentally affected by the attack.
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