ISTANBUL, Jan 17 (AFP) - A Turkish court here on Monday released from prison the main suspect in a long-running trial over the killing of two supporters of British first-division club Leeds nearly five years ago, a lawyer representing one of the victims' families said.
The decision to free Ali Umit Demir came following an appeal from his lawyers to a higher court after the tribunal which is hearing the case ruled against his release in the last hearing, attorney Volkan Dulger told AFP.
"The court, which the defence lawyers appealed to, decided in favour of releasing the suspect," Dulger said.
"The judge decided that the sentence that might be inflicted on Demir if he is found guilty would not be more than the time he has already spent in jail," Dulger said.
The current trial is the second time Demir has appeared in court over the killing of Christopher Loftus, 36, and Kevin Speight, 40, who were stabbed to death in a street brawl with Turkish fans in April 2000 on the eve of a UEFA Cup game between Leeds and Turkish first-division club Galatasaray.
Demir, who has admitted to using a knife in the fight, was sentenced to 15 years in jail in 2002 for the killing of both men, but the appeals court overturned the verdict on the grounds that there was not sufficient evidence to prove that he killed both Loftus and Speight.
In the second trial which began in March 2004, the court asked the coroner's office to examine the blood stains on the knife and determine who it belongs to.
The death of the two Britons caused alarm bells in football-mad Turkey, where authorities last year introduced a package of sanctions against hooligans and troublemakers, including jail terms and lifetime bans.
01/17/2005 16:25 GMT - AFP