Pope's would-be killer released
12/01/2006 10:58  - (SA)  

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Pope attacker to be set free Pope John Paul II's last words

Istanbul - Mehmet Ali Agca, the Turkish man who attempted to assassinate Pope John Paul II in 1981 was released from an Istanbul prison on Thursday after serving almost 25 years behind bars.

Surrounded by a heavy security presence, Agca was whisked through the prison gates in a police car. He is to be transported to a military base where he will undergo tests to assess his suitability for military service.

Agca who turned 48 on Monday escaped draft in 1978 and has not yet served his compulsory military service.

Agca shot the late Pope John Paul at Rome's St. Peter's Square on May 13 1981. The motive for the attack is still unclear. He was convicted over a three-day trial by an Italian court and sentenced to life imprisonment.

In 2000 he was pardoned by Italian President Carlos Azeglio Ciampi, but was extradited to Turkey where he was sentenced on old robbery charges.

- SAPA

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