Two Young Turks Convicted of Murder Expelled from Denmark for Life
Turkish Press, Apr. 4
COPENHAGEN — In a historic ruling, the Danish Supreme Court on Tuesday decided to expel two young Turks, convicted of murdering an Italian tourist, from Denmark for life even though they have lived in the Scandinavian country their entire lives.
The decision, which upholds a previous Appeals Court ruling, marks the first time criminals born and raised in Denmark have been expulsed from the country for life after serving their sentence.
One of the men, Hizir Kilic, was born in Denmark, while his cousin Ferhat Kilic came to the country when he was three.
“This verdict is serious and frightening since both the two convicts have spent their entire lives in Denmark, where their families live,” defense lawyer Ulrik Rasmussen, who is defending Ferhat Kilic, said.
The two men were minors at the time of the crime, and had therefore not yet become Danish citizens, since anyone born to immigrant parents in Denmark must be at least 18 before requesting to become a national.
Six of the seven supreme court judges voted in favor of expelling the two boys due to the seriousness of the crime they had committed, pointing out that they both have “non-disputable ties to Turkey and the Turkish culture”.
The judges also said they had considered the fact that both boys had frequently visited Turkey and spoke Turkish.
Hizir, who was 17 when he stabbed 19-year-old Antonio Curra to death on August 9, 2003, was sentenced to 10 years behind bars, while Ferhat, who was 16 at the time, was sentenced as an accomplice to eight years in prison.
According to police reports, the two boys attacked and killed Curra, who was looking for a youth hostel in the working class Copenhagen neighborhood of Noerrebro, after he refused to give them money.
