Shavkatbek Saipov was vacationing in Turkey in 2013 when he was hit in the eye by a teargas cannister fired by police during the brutal crackdown on the Occupy Gezi protests; he lost the eye and sued the Turkish police.
The court found that the police had indeed caused his injury, but denied his claim against them. The court then ordered him to reimburse the Turkish state for the cost of the trial, fining him 151 Turkish liras — about $50.
Saipov was walking in Ankara’s Güvenpark as a tourist on June 1, 2013, when police attacked protesters during the mass demonstrations that occurred around the country. Saipov said a gas canister used to disperse protesters hit his left eye after he became stuck in the middle of the police and the protesters.Despite undergoing two surgeries, Saipov lost his left eye and filed a complaint against the police officers. He also demanded compensation worth 210,000 liras [$68,000], of which 10,000 [$3,250] was for material damages and 200,000 [$64,750] for damages for mental anguish, from the Interior Ministry.
Turkey Becomes Brazil: Orders Victim To Pay For Costs Of Trial After Police Blinded Him [Glyn Moody/Techdirt]
(Image: Exploded tear gas can on the fly, Athens Indymedia, CC-BY-SA)
