Court Grants Bail to Suspects in Karpas Donkey Killings Case

The investigation into the brutal killing of 16 wild donkeys in Karpas has concluded in Northern Cyprus. The court has released one suspect without charge, while the other three have been granted bail until their next hearing.

Following the investigation, Durmuş Durmuş was released without having to appear in court or post bail.

The remaining three suspects appeared before the İskele District Court. Two of them were charged with “failure to ensure firearm safety” and were released on bail, with financial guarantees and sureties.

The third suspect faced more serious charges, including “possession of explosives,” “illegal possession of firearms,” and “animal cruelty.” He was also released on bail under financial conditions and surety.

In addition, the court imposed a travel ban on the third suspect, requiring him to check in at the police station once a month.

The defense lawyer objected to the “animal cruelty” charge being factored into the bail conditions, arguing that linking his client to the donkey killings based solely on the possession of a single bullet was unreasonable. However, no objections were raised against the other charges.

Meanwhile, authorities have sent one of the suspects’ mobile phones to Turkey in an effort to recover deleted WhatsApp messages, which could later be used as evidence in the case.

Background on the Crime

The shocking incident took place on February 16, about 500 meters northwest of the Dipkarpaz landfill. The attackers shot 16 roaming donkeys at close range with a hunting rifle. Among the victims was a pregnant donkey that was killed while giving birth.

Following the gruesome discovery, police launched a large-scale investigation, with the President of Northern Cyprus personally overseeing the case. Early last week, four suspects were taken into custody.