House arrest of homeless man in Istanbul lifted

ISTANBUL

The “house arrest” of a homeless man, who was previously unable to move outside the boundaries of a confined public area in Istanbul, has been lifted, Doğan News Agency reported on June 22.

Barış Alkan, 31, was not allowed to step outside a specific area near a city bus station in the Söğütlüçeşme neighborhood of Istanbul as it was listed as his address in court records. 

Alkan was detained on April 14 for selling and using drugs and he was later referred to court, with the prosecutor demanding his arrest. 

The Istanbul Fifth Criminal Court of Peace rejected the arrest warrant and ruled for the “application of a judicial control precaution by means of not leaving the premises,” which legally means house arrest.

Alkan started serving his sentence in the empty area encircled with metal plates near the bus station. 

“I don’t have a home address so I have to stay here. Police are stopping me everywhere I go. If I go out of this area, they say it’s a ‘crime.’ Even though I don’t have a house, I’m under house arrest,” Alkan had said.

The prosecution subsequently demanded a revision from the court in its ruling for his house arrest because of the fact that he is homeless.

The Istanbul court therefore lifted the house arrest order, instead applying a judicial control order.
 
Alkan is now obliged to sign at a nearby police station once a month.