Those who beat Turkish football referee may get up to 9 years in prison

Suspects in the case of beating a Turkish football referee, including the president of the Ankaragucu football club Faruk Koca, could be imprisoned for a term of one to nine years, Report informs via the Hurriyet newspaper.

“According to the Turkish Penal Code, the crime of ‘deliberately causing bodily harm’ that led to the arrest of suspects is punishable by 1 to 3 years in prison,” the paper writes.

The Ankaragucu - Rizespor match of the 15th round of the Turkish Championship took place on Monday in Ankara and ended with a score of 1:1. After the match, Koca ran onto the field, accompanied by several people, and punched referee Halil Meler in the face, knocking him to the ground. While the judge was lying on the lawn, he was kicked several times.

Following the incident, the Turkish Football Federation postponed matches in all leagues in the country. The club president resigned.