Prosecutor demands acquittal of Irish-Kuwaiti tourist in street brawl

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

A Turkish prosecutor has demanded the acquittal of an Irish-Kuwaiti tourist who made headlines in August 2015 when video footage of his brawl with Turkish shopkeepers in Istanbul went viral.

The indictment, which was prepared by Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor Mehmet Sami Çağlayan, said Irish-Kuwaiti tourist and complainant-suspect Mohammed Fadel Dobbous legally defended himself in accordance with the 25th Article of Turkish criminal law over self-defense and compulsory situation in his brawl with Turkish shopkeepers in Istanbul’s Aksaray neighborhood.

Çağlayan also demanded jail terms for three shopkeeper suspects, Şenol Palan, Mohammed Raie and Şerafettin Özbey, ranging from five to seven years over charges of aggravated malicious wounding. In addition, the prosecutor also demanded a three-to-nine-year sentence for Fadel Dobbous but left the decision to the court, highlighting that his actions were in line with self-defense and thus demanded an acquittal.

The case will be brought to the criminal court of general jurisdiction if the indictment is accepted.

During the incident, Fadel Dobbous went to a local market in Aksaray to get a bottle of water before accidentally toppling all the bottles in a refrigerator after opening the door. The owner of the shop immediately intervened, brandishing a stick and threatening the tourist. Around 15 shopkeepers then came to the shop owner’s support carrying different tools, ranging from sticks to stools. 

However, the Irish tourist beat up the army of Turkish shopkeepers one by one, parrying blows as they hurled stools and sticks at him. It later came to light that the Irish tourist had in fact been a professional boxer.

“They just picked the wrong man,” he told private broadcaster Show TV on Aug. 26, 2015, after the incident.
The video of the incident had become a trending topic on Twitter, with most users declaring Fadel Dobbous a hero.

He was also likened to a number of fictional figures, including a Spartan facing 300 Persians, the Hulk, Jackie Chan and Neo from the Matrix.