Man who shot John Paul II arrested again
-21/01/06
Turkey’s highest appeals court ove
Man who shot John Paul II arrested again
-21/01/06
Turkey’s highest appeals court overturned the decision which allowed Mehmet Ali Agca, the gunman who shot Pope John Paul II in 1981, to be released early.
Mr Agca, aged 48, has been rearrested and returned to prison, eight days after being freed. The ruling follows an appeal against his release by the Turkish government, reports the BBC.
The maverick was jailed for bank robbery and murder committed before the attempt on the Pope’s life ñ a crime for which he served nearly 20 years in jail in Italy.
He shot the now deceased Pope in St Peter’s Square 24 years ago, but although he talked at the time of the pontiff as ëa symbol of capitalismí and was associated with far-right group Grey Wolves, he has never explained his motivation in public.
John Paul II later visited Mr Agca in jail and publicly forgave him for what he had done. He also developed a relationship with the manís family, and all have since expressed their affection for the late Pope, who died in April 2005.
Police said yesterday that Mr Agca had been arrested in Istanbul’s Kartal district on the afternoon of 20 January 2006 and was being taken to a police station for questioning.
His arrest warrant was issued after Turkey’s highest appeal court overturned the lower court’s decision to free him, having been asked to look at the ruling by Turkey’s justice ministry.
Justice Minister Cemil Cicek argued Agca should serve a full 10-year term for the 1979 murder of left-wing Turkish journalist Abdi Ipekci and two bank robberies.
The gunman’s early release provoked public outcry from many in Turkey. Agca was a 23-year-old known criminal with links to Turkish far-right paramilitaries at the time of the attack in Rome.
After he fired several times at John Paul II, the critically wounded pontiff underwent emergency surgery for serious wounds to the abdomen and hand. He only just survived.
He met his attacker two years later in an Italian prison, when he publicly forgave him.
There have been claims that the Soviet KGB and its Bulgarian counterpart were behind the assassination attempt, but prosecutors at a trial in 1986 failed to prove a link to the Bulgarian secret service.
In a 2002 visit to the country, the then Pope ñ who has been succeeded by Benedict XVI ñ said that he did not believe the Bulgarians were involved.
[Also on Ekklesia: Would be assassin that John Paul forgave to go free; Priest refuses to condemn robbers; Churches focus on violence and forgiveness; Pope seeks forgiveness for Spanish Inquisition; Judas Iscariot to get Vatican makeover; Archbishop of Canterbury to signal new hope for 2006 in forgiveness]
Man who shot John Paul II arrested again
-21/01/06
Turkey’s highest appeals court overturned the decision which allowed Mehmet Ali Agca, the gunman who shot Pope John Paul II in 1981, to be released early.
Mr Agca, aged 48, has been rearrested and returned to prison, eight days after being freed. The ruling follows an appeal against his release by the Turkish government, reports the BBC.
The maverick was jailed for bank robbery and murder committed before the attempt on the Pope’s life – a crime for which he served nearly 20 years in jail in Italy.
He shot the now deceased Pope in St Peter’s Square 24 years ago, but although he talked at the time of the pontiff as ëa symbol of capitalism’ and was associated with far-right group Grey Wolves, he has never explained his motivation in public.
John Paul II later visited Mr Agca in jail and publicly forgave him for what he had done. He also developed a relationship with the man’s family, and all have since expressed their affection for the late Pope, who died in April 2005.
Police said yesterday that Mr Agca had been arrested in Istanbul’s Kartal district on the afternoon of 20 January 2006 and was being taken to a police station for questioning.
His arrest warrant was issued after Turkey’s highest appeal court overturned the lower court’s decision to free him, having been asked to look at the ruling by Turkey’s justice ministry.
Justice Minister Cemil Cicek argued Agca should serve a full 10-year term for the 1979 murder of left-wing Turkish journalist Abdi Ipekci and two bank robberies.
The gunman’s early release provoked public outcry from many in Turkey. Agca was a 23-year-old known criminal with links to Turkish far-right paramilitaries at the time of the attack in Rome.
After he fired several times at John Paul II, the critically wounded pontiff underwent emergency surgery for serious wounds to the abdomen and hand. He only just survived.
He met his attacker two years later in an Italian prison, when he publicly forgave him.
There have been claims that the Soviet KGB and its Bulgarian counterpart were behind the assassination attempt, but prosecutors at a trial in 1986 failed to prove a link to the Bulgarian secret service.
In a 2002 visit to the country, the then Pope – who has been succeeded by Benedict XVI – said that he did not believe the Bulgarians were involved.
[Also on Ekklesia: Would be assassin that John Paul forgave to go free; Priest refuses to condemn robbers; Churches focus on violence and forgiveness; Pope seeks forgiveness for Spanish Inquisition; Judas Iscariot to get Vatican makeover; Archbishop of Canterbury to signal new hope for 2006 in forgiveness]