Machete-Carrying Man Released Again

Sabri Çelebi, a machete-carrying aggressor who attacked Gezi Park protestors and police officers, has been released this afternoon after his testimony in Istanbul Courthouse. 

“A capture warrant issued by Istanbul 1st High Criminal Court only ordered Çelebi’s testimony upon his capture,” advocate Ismail Demirci told bianet. 

On July 10, Çelebi left Turkey and returned last night in Sabiha Gökçen International Airport. He was detained right away. 

After the completion of his procedures at the airport, he was escorted to police headquarters. This afternoon, he was released upon his testimony at Istanbul Courthouse. 

“I have a restaurant and tourism company in Talimhane district. It was economically tight during Gezi incidents,” Sabri Çelebi said in his testimony upon his first detention. 

“We went out with bats and machetes in order to push protestors to go home. Our only purpose was to scare them.” 

Çelebi’s second release 

On July 6, police broke up Gezi Park protestors on Istiklal Avenue who gathered after the appeal “We are going to our park”. During the intervention, Murat Ertik, Şeyhmus Kırmızı, Ahmet Girgin and Sabri Çelebi - 4 local business owners around Talimhane area - attacked protestors with machetes. Machete-carrying aggressors have been detained by the police later on and freed after standing trial. 

Other aggressors with bats and sharp knives, Murat Ertik and Şeyhmus Kırmızı, have fled into the crowd. They have reportedly attacked pedestrians. Çelebi has kicked a woman in the back, eyewitnesses said. 

The attacks left Kaan Polat injured from his ear and cheekbones. Kayhan Şahan, a vice police commissioner, was also wounded from his hand. 

At the same day of attack, Çelebi has been detained around 9:30 pm local time. 

Çelebi’s aggression tools have allegedly been cleared from fingerprints at the time of examination. 

Prosecutors charged Çelebi with assault and transferred to a court. 

Istanbul 30th Peace Criminal Court ruled that there was no need to arrest Çelebi for reasons associated with “the nature and extend of crime, evidence in hand, arrest being a measure, suspect having a permanent residence and no risk for run away. 

On July 9, injured protestor Polat and prosecutor Büyükkılıç objected the release order. 

Istanbul 1st High Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant upon the objection. 

The court also ordered international travel ban and judicial control measures for Murat Ertik, Ahmet Girgin and Şeyhmus Kırmızı - co-workers of Çelebi and suspected of attacking Gezi Park protestors with batons and machetes. 

However, it turned out that it was too late for Sabri Çelebi, as he reportedly fled abroad.

On July 7, the court admitted an indictment on 4 individuals who were charged with “assault and resisting officers to hold their duties”. (AS/BM)

*Photo credit: Şebnem Coşkun / AA

* Click here to read the original article in Turkish.