Suspected middleman no-show for murder trial

By June 29, 2009

Turkey (MNN) — The wheels of
justice are turning slowly in the murder trial of three Christians murdered in Turkey two years
ago. Varol Bülent Aral, a suspected middleman, failed to appear at a
hearing because the state prosecutor's office neglected to provide the funding
for his transportation from Istanbul to Malatya, according to reports from
Compass Direct News and other publishing houses. 

In April 2007, Salih Guler, Cuma Ozdemir, Hamit Ceker, and Abuzer Yildirim, and alleged ring-leader Emre Gunaydin murdered German
Christian Tilmann Geske and Turkish Christians Necati Ayden and Ugur
Yüksel.  They tied the three men to their
chairs, stabbed them, and tortured them before slitting their throats at Zirve
Publishing House. The publishing house
printed Bibles and Christian literature. 

The five perpetrators have been
caught, but some believe they were connected to a deeper conspiracy. Suspect Emre Gunaydin named Varol Bülent Aral
as one middleman between the five murderers and a possible "deep state"
conspiracy. 

Erdal Dogan, one of the case's
plaintiff lawyers, protested the witness's failure to show up. 

"They didn't bring the witness
due to a lack of funds. That the Justice
Ministry knew the court date and didn't put money aside for the witness to come
is a tragic state of affairs," he told Compass Direct. 

"It is very provocative that a
defendant in such a case could not be brought to court due to a lack of funds.
I think the Justice Ministry should have something to say on this issue," he
explained to Today's Zaman.

Pray for Turkish Christians as
they continue to witness and learn to depend on God for justice. 

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