‘Police Have No Authority to Shoot and Kill’

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Lawyers and rights organizations made examinations in Adana, where Ali El Hemdan was shot to death by a police officer, and issued a report.

The report dated April 29 has been jointly prepared by the Human Rights Association (İHD) Adana Branch, Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD) Adana Branch, Human Rights Commission of Adana Bar Association and Confederation of Public Workers' Unions (KESK).

The report has quoted the statements of witnesses and Hemdan's father Adnan El Hemdan as well as the prosecutor conducting the investigation, with whom lawyers and rights defender met.

He had just turned 18, was working in textile

Ali El Hemdan was shot to death by a police gun in Sucuzade neighborhood in Seyhan district in Adana at around 12 p.m. on April 27.

In his statement to the organizations, Adnan El Hemdan said, "My son has just turned 18, he was a tailor by profession. He was working in textile, but he had not been working for a month due to the virus."

The port has concluded that the suspected police officer acted contrary to the procedures and legislation by exceeding his authority of using firearms defined by the Law of Police Powers and legal regulation:

"We know that in several similar other incidents, the police officers who committed a crime were protected and went unpunished.

"For this reason, this crime should not be covered up, it needs to be investigated in accordance with justice and law and, in the end, a punishment proportionate to the crime must be given.

"Not only is it required by the principle of the rule of law, it is also important and necessary to ensure the society's trust in the law."

The prosecutor of the investigation indicated that suspected officer F.K. was arrested for "wilful murder" on April 28,one of the cameras in the scene of incident was working and it was still under examination.

'Police followed him, a gunshot was heard'

Hasan Hacı Ali Ahmet, a close friend of Hemdan, was with him during the incident. He also briefly stated the following:

"Police car was standing on the street, there were police officers in front of the car. The police told us to show our IDs. I took out mine and gave it, then the police searched my body. Meanwhile, as he was younger than 20, Ali was standing a bit behind. The police asked for his ID as well; however, Ali El Hemdan did not take out an ID and went a bit further.

"The police followed him. When he entered the street, a single gunshot was heard. When I went to the street, Ali was lying on his back. I was panicked then. An ambulance came afterwards, taking Ali to the hospital."

Sultani Delen, another witness, also said that the police run behind Hemdan and shouted out to him to stop and when he turned his face, the police fired his gun. He indicated that the police did not fall down or stumble.

'He was shot when he turned his face to the police'

The report has noted that Hemdan's right to life has been violated:

"Apart from the suspect's statement that he did not abide by the stop warning, there is no evidence suggesting that the killed young man was involved in a crime that would require a heavy sentence or that he attacked the police. On the contrary, the witness statements confirm that he did abide by the stop warning and was shot when he turned his face to the police.

"Moreover, even when he had run by not abiding by the stop warning, the police still do not have the authority to kill according to the legislation.

"Even though some visual and print media reported the statements of civilian authorities who said that the police fired his gun into the air and shot the deceased man in the leg, the documents prepared after the examination of the deceased and autopsy clearly show that he was show with a single bullet in the upper side of his heart, a fatal area." (AS/SD)