06/01/2025 | Writer: Oğulcan Özgenç
Two years ago, on 5 January 2023, Mustafa Fidan killed trans woman Ecem Seçkin in Alsancak, Izmir. Mustafa Fidan was sentenced to life imprisonment. Ecem Seçkin's lawyers demanded ‘aggravated life imprisonment’. Appeal rejected the request. The file is at the Court of Cassation.
Yesterday was the death anniversary of sex worker trans woman Ecem Seçkin.
Mustafa Fidan killed sex worker trans woman Ecem Seçkin on 5 January 2023 in Alsancak, Izmir. Mustafa Fidan killed Ecem Seçkin with many knife strokes and fled the scene in a taxi. Upon the notification of the bystanders, health and police teams were dispatched to the scene. Fidan, whose taxi's licence plate and direction of travel were detected, was caught in Torbalı, Izmir.
Detained Mustafa Fidan was brought to the Asayiş Branch Directorate Homicide Bureau for questioning. Ecem's lifeless body was taken to Izmir Forensic Medicine Institute morgue for autopsy after the examination of the prosecutor. In the autopsy report, 31 stab wounds, 8 of which were fatal, were found on Ecem Seçkin's body.
The criminal report revealed that Mustafa Fidan entered the house with three knives
After the murder, the prosecutor's office prepared an indictment and demanded that Mustafa Fidan, who killed Ecem on the night connecting 4 January to 5 January, be tried for intentional killing with the intention of concealing a crime, eliminating its evidence or facilitating its commission, carrying a knife without a licence and looting with a gun at night.
The criminal report revealed that Mustafa Fidan entered the house with three knives on his person and that a licence was required to carry one of these knives, but Fidan did not have a licence.
Click-The defendant who killed Ecem Seçkin, had gone to her house with three knives!
The defendant's lawyer requested a report on Fidan's mental illness
After the indictment was prepared, the first hearing of Ecem Seçkin case was held on 16 June 2023 at İzmir Bayraklı Courthouse, 17th Assize Court. In the first hearing, Mustafa Fidan claimed that the black gloves found in his pocket did not belong to him and that he was carrying a knife because he was a courier. Fidan claimed that Ecem Seçkin ‘was not a woman’, ‘she did not know that’ and ‘she had criticised his manhood’.
In the first hearing, Ecem's family and lawyers stated that Mustafa Fidan's allegations were a common defence in transgender murders. Fidan's lawyer demanded a report from the court on Fidan's mental health. The court rejected the lawyer's request for a report.
The first hearing of the case ended with the ruling to listen to the witness and to examine Ecem's phone. The second hearing was postponed to 29 September.
Click here-Ecem Seçkin case was postponed to 29 September
Witnesses were heard in the second hearing: ‘One of the knives was bloody, the person fled’
The second hearing of the case continued on 29 September. Mustafa Fidan, who is on trial for the murder of Ecem Seçkin, was brought to the second hearing from Izmir T Type Closed Penal Institution No 1, where he is currently under arrest.
Witnesses of the murder were heard in the second hearing of the case. The driver of the taxi that Fidan got into after the murder said that Fidan was in a state of agitation. Ecem Seçkin's neighbour Sibel described the events as follows:
"I used to live in opposite buildings with Ecem, our houses faced each other. Two hours before she died, Ecem came to my house, we sat down and ate fruit. Then she told me that her guest was coming and left me. I was sitting in the living room, where I was sitting overlooks the street and the building where Ecem lived, at that time I looked out of the window when I heard noises from the street. I saw our friend Tutku struggling with the defendant Mustafa on the street. I went out to the street from my house on the second floor, I went to them, they were still struggling, I reached out my hand to hold the person, I held his coat, at that time Ecem's bag, mobile phone and 2 knives that the person hid in his coat fell to the ground, one of the knives was bloody, the person ran away."
In the second hearing, the case was postponed to 1 December for the elimination of the deficiencies in the file. Mustafa Fidan's detention continued on the grounds that ‘there is a strong suspicion of guilt that the defendant committed the crime attributed to him and the accusation is counted among the catalogue crimes considered as a reason for arrest’.
Police threatened LGBTI+ activists who wanted to make a press statement
On 1 December, LGBTI+ activists from İzmir Colours of Resistance wanted to make a press statement during the third hearing. The police prevented the press statement with the threat of detention. Held on 1 December, the trial was postponed to 15 January.
Prosecutor did not consider premeditated murder
The fourth hearing of the case held on 15 January was attended by Ecem Seçkin's mother and lawyer Sena Yazıbağlı representing Seçkin. LGBTI+ rights defenders also followed the hearing.
During the hearing, Ecem Seçkin's mother showed her reaction by saying "My child did not deserve to be killed in this way, let justice be served ’. On the other hand, Mustafa Fidan said ‘I regret’.
The prosecutor presented his final opinion to the file. In the final opinion, the prosecutor wanted Fidan to be sentenced for the offence of intentional killing with monstrous feeling or torment as in the indictment; although plastic gloves were found on Fidan and he went to Seçkin's house with a knife; he did not consider the act of ‘intentional killing’.
Fidan had stolen Seçkin's phone and dropped it after the intervention of another trans woman. The prosecutor argued that the offence of ‘looting’ did not occur for this reason.
Speaking to KaosGL.org, Lawyer Sena Yazıbağlı criticised the prosecutor's opinion as follows
"Black plastic gloves come out of the defendant's pocket. It is certain that he went home with three knives. The deliberate killing and the effort to eliminate the evidence of the offence is obvious."
The trial was postponed to 19 February for Mustafa Fidan to make his defence against the final opinion.
The court characterised the murder of Ecem Seçkin as a ‘simple form’ of intentional homicide
The final hearing of the case was held on 19 February 2024.
At the hearing, lawyer Sena Yazıbağlı stated that they did not accept the points in the final opinion that the ‘qualified’ form of the offence of intentional killing did not occur and that the offence of looting was transformed into the offence of theft.
Lawyer Mahmut Şeren stated that the murder of Ecem Seçkin was ‘murder with monstrous feeling’ and Mustafa Fidan should be sentenced for the qualified form of the offence of intentional killing. Fidan said ‘I regret, I want my acquittal’.
At the verdict hearing, the court described the murder of Ecem Seçkin as a ‘simple form’ of intentional killing and sentenced Mustafa Fidan to life imprisonment for intentional killing. Furthermore, the court did not pay attention to the request for Mustafa Fidan to be sentenced for qualified robbery for stealing Seçkin's phone and bag at gunpoint, and sentenced Mustafa Fidan for qualified theft instead of robbery, stating that the nature of the offence had changed.
Lawyers' appeal requests were rejected, the file is at the Court of Cassation!
The lawyers of the Ecem Seçkin case appealed the court's decision. The lawyers demanded aggravated life imprisonment on the grounds that Mustafa Fidan killed Ecem Seçkin with premeditation and with monstrous feeling, and Mustafa Fidan, who stole Seçkin's belongings at gunpoint, should be sentenced for plunder.
The Court of Appeal rejected the demands of the lawyers of Ecem Seçkin's case on the merits. Ecem Seçkin's murderer Mustafa Fidan is still under arrest, the file is at the Court of Cassation.
Tags: human rights, women
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