Emine Şenyaşar fined for ‘insulting’ interior minister, AKP deputy

Photo: MA

Emine Şenyaşar, who has been seeking justice for her family members that were killed in 2018 by the security guards and relatives of ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Urfa MP İbrahim Halil Yıldız, has been given a judicial fine for "insulting" Yıldız and Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu.

Emine Şenyaşar and her son Fadıl Şenyaşar started a justice watch in front of the courthouse in the Kurdish-majority south-eastern province Urfa on March 9, 2021, demanding a fair trial for the murders of their family members.

While Emine Şenyaşar continues the watch at home in the Suruç district due to health problems, Ferit Şenyaşar is in the capital of Ankara demanding legal support.

Meanwhile, the verdict of one of the 4 lawsuits filed against Emine Şenyaşar with the allegation of "insulting" public officials because of the statements she made during the justice watch has been announced.

Referring to the speech made by Emine Şenyaşar in front of the courthouse on the 86th day of the vigil, the Urfa 2nd Penal Court of First Instance fined her 7,040 lira (~424,3 US dollars) for "insulting" Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu and AKP MP İbrahim Halil Yıldız.

Emine Şenyaşar said, "The ignobles murdered my son" on Jun 2, 2021, while making a statemet for the press in Urfa.

The court ruled that she had meant Minister Soylu, MP Yıldız and his family members by "ignoble," and sentenced Emine Şenyaşar to pay a judicial fine for insulting public officials.

Sixteen investigations have been launched against Emine Şenyaşar since the beginning of the justice watch, with lawsuits being filed after five of the investigations.

CLICK - Emine Şenyaşar summoned to depose for 'insulting' Interior Minister Soylu

CLICK - Emine Şenyaşar given a judicial fine for 'insulting' ruling AKP MP Yıldız

What happened?

During the election campaign of ruling AKP Urfa MP İbrahim Halil Yıldız in Suruç, Urfa on June 14, 2018, an attack turned into an armed conflict, which claimed the lives of Yıldız's brother Mehmet Şah Yıldız, shop owner Hacı Esvet Şenyaşar and his sons Adil and Celal Şenyaşar.

Having lost his father and two brothers and been wounded himself in the incident, Fadıl Şenyaşar was discharged from the hospital and detained on June 17. He was then arrested and sent to prison.

Demanding justice for two sons, her husband and her arrested son, Emine Şenyaşar and her son Ferit Şenyaşar, who survived the attack, have been keeping a "justice watch" in front of the courthouse.

There has been a confidentiality order on the file of the investigation into the attack. The second appeal of the Şenyaşar family against the "confidentiality" order on the investigation into the second attack at the Suruç Public Hospital was rejected on April 21, 2021.

The Constitutional Court, to which the family appealed, has not yet given its decision. One of the demands raised by the family on their justice watch is the removal of this "confidentiality" order.

On April 23, 2022, eleven people were detained for the killing of the members of Şenyaşar family in 2018, four of them (MP İbrahim Halil Yıldız's brother Celal Yıldız, and İbrahim Şimşek, Mikail Şimşek, Müslüm Yıldız) were arrested two days later.

CLICK - Şenyaşar family case: Brother, relatives of AKP deputy arrested for 'murder'

(TB/VK)