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Turkey: Bomber sentenced to nine life terms for deadly attack
(AKI ) - A Turkish court on Friday sentenced an alleged Kurdish separatist to nine consecutive life terms in solitary confinement for a car bomb attack that killed seven people last year. Local media said Erdal Polat, who was 23 at the time of the attack, faced charges of attempting to ruin the unity and integrity of the state, murder and helping the outlawed separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).According to Turkish media, Polat was accused of preparing and detonating a car bomb, with 40 kilogrammes of explosives, near a bus carrying Turkish soldiers. The explosion, which also occurred near a university building, killed seven people -- including six high school students -- and injured 68 others. Polat confessed to being a member of the PKK and obtaining the car used in the bombing, but denied detonating the vehicle. The court sentenced five other people to six years and three months in jail each for helping Polat and for membership of the PKK. Six defendants were acquitted. Posted by: Fred 2009-01-04 |
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