Turkey: 5 jailed for life over Russia envoy’s killing

The defendants received Turkey's harshest sentences as the country abolished the death penalty in 2002.

Ankara’s High Criminal Court has sentenced five people to life in prison following the assassination of Russia’s ambassador to Turkey in 2016, Anadolu reports.

Andrei Karlov was shot dead by an off-duty policeman while speaking at a photo exhibition opening in the Turkish capital on 19 December 2016.

Russian Foreign Ministry said it found Turkey’s decision “satisfying” in a written statement.

The murder created a diplomatic crisis between Turkey and Russia and it affected Turkey’s gas supply from Russia.

The gunman was shot dead after the assassination.

The defendants received Turkey’s harshest sentences as the country abolished the death penalty in 2002.

READ: A letter from the Russian ambassador’s assassin

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