Turkey coup trial: Court jails 104 ex-military officers for life
Istanbul, May 22: A Turkish court has sentenced 104 former military officers to life in prison for their involvement in a 2016 coup attempt, state media report.
They were given "aggravated life sentences", which come with tougher terms than a normal life sentence, BBC reported on Tuesday.
The country's president had previously said he backed reintroducing the death penalty for coup plotters. The failed coup to overthrow President Recep Tayyip Erdogan left at least 260 dead and 2,200 injured on 15 July 2016.
The Turkish government has since led a crackdown on alleged coup supporters, with the dismissal of more than 150,000 state employees and the arrest of some 50,000 people.
Of the 280 ex-military people on trial, the court in Izmir also served lesser sentences to a further 52 defendants.
Sitting in Izmir in western Turkey, the court gave 21 people 20 years in prison for "assisting the assassination of the president", while 31 others were sentenced to between seven and 11 years for "membership of a terrorist organisation", state news agency Anadolu reported.
President Erdogan had backed reintroducing the death penalty for coup plotters. He also said they should wear Guantanamo Bay-style uniforms. Turkey abolished the death penalty in 2004.
The Turkish authorities accused a movement loyal to the Muslim cleric, Fethullah Gulen, of organising the 2016 plot.
Gulen, who has been in self-imposed exile in the US since 1999, denies any involvement, and Washington has so far resisted calls from the Turkish authorities to extradite him.
Rebel soldiers had attempted to overthrow the government overnight and plotters tried to detain Mr Erdogan as he holidayed in an Aegean resort.
However, he had left 15 minutes before and the coup was thwarted by civilians and soldiers loyal to the president.
A purge followed the coup, in which thousands of public employees from police officers to teachers were sacked or arrested under suspicion of stirring up dissent.
Erdogan's critics say he is using the purge to stifle political dissent.
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Virat Kohli fined 20 per cent match fees, one demerit point for his altercation with Sam Konstas
Melbourne, Dec 26: India superstar Virat Kohli was on Thursday fined 20 per cent of his match fee and handed one demerit point by the ICC following his on-field altercation with Australia debutant Sam Konstas on the opening day of the fourth Test here.
The incident happened in the 10th over when Kohli and the 19-year-old Konstas bumped their shoulders and also exchanged a few words in the first session’s play at the Melbourne Cricket Ground here.
"Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct relates to: "inappropriate physical contact with a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other person (including a spectator during an International Match"," the ICC said on its website.
"No formal hearing was needed as Kohli accepted the sanctions propsed by Match Referee Andy Pycroft. On-field umpires Joel Wilson and Michael Gough, third umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid and fourth umpire Shawn Craig levelled the charge," it added.
While moving across the pitch after the completion of the over, both the players bumped their shoulders and exchanged a few words before Australia opener Usman Khawaja and on-field umpires Gough and Wilson intervened.
Konstas later played down the incident after the end of the play, saying "Virat Kohli accidentally bumped into me, that's cricket and can happen with tension."
"Have a look where Virat walks. Virat's walked one whole pitch over to his right and instigated that confrontation. No doubt in my mind whatsoever."
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 26, 2024
- Ricky Ponting #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/zm4rjG4X9A
Kohli and Konstas come together and make contact đź‘€#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/adb09clEqd
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 26, 2024
