Muradiye residents attempt second lynching of rape suspects in tourist case
Güncelleme Tarihi:
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Haziran 06, 2006 09:56
As anger swells among residents of Muradiye, a town near Van in the Southeast of Turkey, over an incident of rape in which the victim was a Swiss bicyclist, a group of 500 citizens yesterday attempted to lynch the group of 6 suspects in the case.
Swiss bicyclists J.M.L. and M.N.W. had set off on a world tour on their bicycles, coming to Muradiye from Iran, where a group of 6 people are now accused of tying J.M.L. to a tree and then raping his girlfriend, M.N.W.. The suspects in the case, 20 year old Ramazan T., 25 year old Huseyin S., 24 year old Cemal B., 27 year old Kamil P., and 17 year old N.S., were attacked yesterday as they were being transported to court by a minibus. It was apparently the second attempt by crowds in Muradiye to lynch the rape suspects.
Police in Muradiye first tried to calm the crowds, and then allowed the suspects off the bus and into the courthouse. People gathered at the front doors to the courthouse however succeeded in making their way through police cordones to punch and kick the suspects as they entered the building. Police resorted to using pepper gas to disperse the angered crowds.
Meanwhile, the provincial governor of Muradiye, Omer Saglam, warned crowds on the steps of the courthouse that some people might try to use the incidents as a cause for mass provocation. Said Saglam, "From here on in, this business belongs to the justice system. The justice system will do what needs to be done. We want you to remain calm."
Police in Muradiye first tried to calm the crowds, and then allowed the suspects off the bus and into the courthouse. People gathered at the front doors to the courthouse however succeeded in making their way through police cordones to punch and kick the suspects as they entered the building. Police resorted to using pepper gas to disperse the angered crowds.
Meanwhile, the provincial governor of Muradiye, Omer Saglam, warned crowds on the steps of the courthouse that some people might try to use the incidents as a cause for mass provocation. Said Saglam, "From here on in, this business belongs to the justice system. The justice system will do what needs to be done. We want you to remain calm."