Turkey's top court orders release of man convicted of killing pregnant wife

Turkey's Court of Cassation overturned the aggravated life sentence imposed on Hakan Aysal and ordered his release. Aysal was convicted of causing the death of his pregnant wife Semra Aysal by pushing her from a cliff during a photo outing.

The incident took place on June 19, 2018, in Butterfly Valley, a popular tourism center in Fethiye, Muğla. Semra Aysal, who was seven months pregnant, fell from the rocks and died along with her unborn child.

“Approximately four of the six years of unjust detention were spent by my client alone in a cell.”

Investigators deepened the probe after suspicions arose about the woman's death. They found that Hakan Aysal had taken out an individual accident insurance policy worth 400,000 Turkish lira in his wife's name shortly before the incident.

Aysal was detained following these findings and was arrested and sent to prison on November 21, 2020. The Fethiye 1st Heavy Penal Court later sentenced him to aggravated life imprisonment by majority vote for the premeditated killing of a close relative.

The case file was transferred to the Court of Cassation for appeal review. The Court of Cassation's Criminal General Chambers subsequently decided on Aysal's release.

Aysal's lawyer, Mehmet Buğra Çiçek, stated that his client did not commit intentional killing against his wife. He said approximately four of the six years of unjust detention were spent alone in a cell.

The lawyer described the Court of Cassation's release decision as a clear indication that the unjust aggravated life sentence had been overturned, thanking Turkish justice for the fair and correct ruling.