Turkey: Release of man accused of pushing pregnant wife off cliff after 6 years in prison
The General Criminal Authority at the Court of Cassation decides to release Hakan Esal after 6 years
Translated by Alqyas from Al-Qabas — Original source
Turkish authorities have released a man sentenced to life imprisonment with aggravated penalty for killing his pregnant wife by pushing her from a cliff approximately 300 meters high, after he served about six years in prison. The case sparked widespread controversy in the country. According to the Anadolu Agency, the Criminal Division of the Court of Cassation ordered the release of Hakan Esal during its review of the appeal against the ruling. The case dates back to June 19, 2018, when Semra Esal, 32, who was seven months pregnant, fell from a rocky cliff at the “Valley of Butterflies” tourist site in Muğla province in southwestern Turkey, resulting in the deaths of both her and her unborn child. Prosecutors accused her husband of intentionally pushing her off the cliff while taking photos, in order to collect a 400,000 Turkish lira accident insurance payout that he had previously taken out in his wife’s name. The release decision came amid legal objections regarding the sufficiency of the evidence underlying the conviction, while the husband continued to deny the charge of killing his wife.
