Turkey (text reproduced here, link to changing page): Four months after a Turkish convert to Christianity was beaten into a coma for distributing New Testaments, the crippled victim appeared in court. Yakup Cindilli managed to walk into the Orhangazi Courthouse, shuffling slowly and clinging to a family member for support. Speaking in short sentences in a slightly mumbled voice, he pointed out to the judge of the Orhangazi Criminal Court the three men he said had beaten him at the local office of the ultra-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) on October 19. Metin Yildiran, president of the local MHP chapter, Ibrahim Sekman and Huseyin Bektas were jailed initially on charges of battery and assault a few days after the attack and later released. The state prosecutor told the court that he found the victim’s explanation of the incident flawed and concluded that there were insufficient legal grounds to prosecute the suspects because of their accuser’s questionable mental state. The presiding judge ordered thorough medical examinations of Cindilli to determine both his physical and mental/psychological condition before the next hearing, set for March 25. (Compass Direct)