Egg-throwing students face 5 years in jail in Turkey

Egg-throwing students face 5 years in jail in Turkey

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

Bağış’s eye was injured when students hurled eggs at him in December 2011. AA photo

A prosecutor has asked for up to five years of imprisonment for two students who are accused of throwing eggs at Turkey’s EU Minister Egemen Bağış during a speech at İzmir Ege University.

Students at Ege University hurled eggs at Bağış in December 2011 while he was making a speech.
Although the 20-year-old students were detained by the police after the incident they were later released.

However, a prosecutor has opened a court case against the two students, asking up to five years of jail for E.Ç. for ‘injuring a person on purpose,’ and up to two years of imprisonment for A.D. for slogans.
Bağış’s right eye was injured when he was hit by an egg during his speech. Despite bodyguards’ efforts to protect the minister, one of the eggs hit his right cheek and caused it to redden. Students shouted “AKP [ruling Justice and Development Party], get out of our campus.” After the protest the students were detained by police.