In a petition to Turkey’s Supreme Court of Appeals, İ.Ö., a secret witness who testified in more than 100 cases, said his testimony should not be taken into consideration due to his mental problems, including hallucinations, the Bianet news website reported.
The petition was submitted by İ.Ö.’s attorney and included medical reports that support his claim.
Attorney Yağız Yıldız submitted the petition for a case in which İ.Ö. is one of the defendants. The petition also noted that the lower court based its judgment solely on İ.Ö.’s testimony and did not take into account the absence of any supporting evidence.
İ.Ö. was a secret witness in the case against 18 members of the Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD). The lawyers were convicted of membership in the outlawed Revolutionary People’s Liberation Army/Front (DHKP-C), and critics had claimed that the ruling was based only on the secret witness testimony. Two of the lawyers are currently on a death fast protesting the lack of a fair trial.
In his petition attorney Yıldız said his client was “dragged into crime” at the age of 10 and was diagnosed with “atypical psychosis” in 2011. According to his medical report, “It is possible that [he] may have hallucinations or be delusional.”
İ.Ö. had previously informed on his father, claiming that he had come into contact with the DHKP-C through him. In a letter he once said he has been a witness in DHKP-C related cases since 2008. He has been in prison for 13 years and was convicted of buying, carrying and possessing unlicensed firearms and ammunition, causing bodily injury and looting.
