Sivas massacre case dropped due to statute of limitations
ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News
Hürriyet photo
The Ankara High Criminal Court dropped the 1993 Sivas massacre case today due to statute of limitations.Lawyers for the families of the victims say they will appeal Tuesday's ruling, The Associated Press reported.
In the previous hearing prosecutor Hakan Yüksel demanded an end to the trial of five remaining suspects charged with involvement in the torching of the Madımak Hotel on grounds their offenses now fall beyond the 15 year statute of limitations.
In the first stage of the Sivas case, 33 suspects were sentenced to death in 2000 for what the court deemed an attempt on the secular constitutional order. Their sentences were commuted to life imprisonment when Turkey abolished capital punishment.
Fourteen others were given jail terms of up to 15 years.
