Turkish court upholds 40 life sentences for 2017 Istanbul nightclub attack perpetrator

The Turkish Court of Cassation has approved the sentence of 40 life terms for the perpetrator of the 2017 Istanbul nightclub attack.

The court reviewed the appeals from the convicted Uzbek national Abdulgadir Masharipov and ruled that the sentences were under the law, Caliber.Az reports via Turkish media.

In 2020, he was found guilty of premeditated murder of 39 people and attempted murder of 79 others, receiving a sentence of 40 consecutive life terms with aggravating circumstances and 1,368 years in prison for each charge.

The attack on the Reina nightclub in the Ortaköy district of Istanbul occurred on January 1, 2017. The terrorist killed a police officer at the club's entrance, then opened fire with an assault rifle on the crowd. At the time of the attack, 700–800 people were celebrating the New Year at the nightclub. Several people jumped into the Bosphorus to escape. The terrorist group ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack.

By Khagan Isayev