North Rhine-Westphalia: espionage process: nine months suspended sentence required

Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) - In the trial of espionage for Turkish secret services, the federal prosecutor's office has applied for nine months' probation for the confessed accused.

North Rhine-Westphalia: espionage process: nine months suspended sentence required

Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) - In the trial of espionage for Turkish secret services, the federal prosecutor's office has applied for nine months' probation for the confessed accused. This was announced by a court spokeswoman on Wednesday on request. The defendant admitted to having passed on information about two supporters of the Gülen movement living in Cologne.

The Turkish government blames the so-called Gülen movement for the attempted coup in Turkey in 2016 and is taking action against supporters of the organization in its own country. The State Protection Senate had promised the 47-year-old accused a suspended sentence in return for a confession.

In addition, the accused is said to have sold 200 rounds of live ammunition to an accomplice who had already been convicted of espionage and handed them over to him in his Cologne apartment. The accused also admitted that.

The cartridges and a list of names and profiles of supporters of the Gülen movement were found in a hotel room in Düsseldorf in September 2021 and triggered a large-scale police operation. The higher regional court wants to announce the verdict as early as this Thursday.