"I didn't mean to hurt him - but the knife entered his neck": The laundry brawl that ended in murder

The prosecution in Kocaeli Province, Turkey, is seeking life imprisonment for Mahdi B., a laundry worker accused of intentionally killing his coworker, Abdurrauf Gorgani, during a violent brawl. The defendant claims self-defense, stating he did not intend to harm the victim, but the knife entered his neck. The prosecution also seeks 10-18 years in prison for the attempted murder of another worker.

The prosecution in Kocaeli Province, northwestern Turkey, is seeking life imprisonment for Mahdi B., 29, a laundry worker accused of intentionally killing his coworker, Abdurrauf Gorgani, during a violent brawl at their workplace in the Karatepe district. In addition to life imprisonment, the prosecution demands a sentence of 10 to 18 years for the attempted murder of another worker who was seriously injured. The incident occurred in December of last year, after a long-standing conflict between the workers escalated into a brawl. Mahdi B. claims in court that he acted in self-defense after being attacked from behind. "I raised the knife once so he wouldn't attack me. I had no intention of hurting him, but the knife hit his neck directly," he said. A witness reported hearing the defendant say: "When I raised the knife toward him, it hit his carotid artery. I don't know if he is alive or dead." The prosecution also seeks to sentence Rauf P., identified in some reports as a minor, to 15-18 years in prison for his involvement in the killing, and 6.5-12 years for aiding the attempted murder. Conversely, the prosecution requested the acquittal of two other individuals involved in the case. The court adjourned the hearing to allow the defense teams to respond to the prosecution's arguments.