5 Negligences in Investigation into Nadira Kadirova's Suspicious Death

Click to read the article in Turkish

"We see that there was no detailed collection of evidence in the place where Nadira Kadirova lost her life, namely in the scene of incident. Why?

"In the file which the Prosecutor's Office has closed by concluding that it was a suicide and where he presented the 'suicide note' as evidence, the pen standing on the notebook where the suicide note had been written was not examined for fingerprints. Why? It was one of the most important things that should have been done in the very first place.

"The minutes taken down by the police officers who came to the scene of incident first were added to the file of the prosecutor's office. The prosecutor should have summoned these officers and asked them to talk about the picture in the scene of incident. It was not done. Why?

"The telephone traffic of the ones who were in the scene of incident and the ones who lived in the same building was not examined. In fact, it is one of the things that need to be done in the very first place.

"Moreover, there are serious missing points in the autopsy report. A post-mortem examination consists of an internal and external examination. An internal examination provides important evidence that will help to reveal the truth, especially in such a case. The information pertaining to the issue, regardless of whether there is sexual assault or not, is normally added to the file as a photo. However, we cannot see it in this file, either."

***

The above remarks have been uttered by Prof. Dr. İlyas Doğan. He is one of the attorneys for deceased domestic worker Nadira Kadirova, who suspiciously lost her life in the house of ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) MP Şirin Ünal in Ankara in September 2019.

The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has given a decision of non-prosecution in the investigation launched into her suspicious death, arguing that Kadirova committed suicide. The attorneys of Kadirova family objected to this decision. However, their objection was rejected last week.

Attorney İlyas Doğan indicates that "the failure to make a crime scene investigation is a violation of right to life" and added that they are preparing to make an application to the Constitutional Court.

'The state didn't do its part, let's do it ourselves'

Doğan tells the following to bianet:

"Nadira Kadirova may have indeed committed suicide. The public needs to know the causes having led her to commit suicide. It is a duty of the prosecutor's office to unveil the causes of this suicide. If she didn't commit suicide, the truth has to be revealed. We know that while she was working at his house, Nadira was alone with Ünal from time to time. We do not know what happened in those times. They are all suspicious.

"According to the provisions of İstanbul Convention, especially in women's death, it is indicated that these files can be closed without any suspicions. The suspicions are very strong from our point of view. The whole public needs to follow up on this file.

'We expect support from the public'

"We are talking about a poor woman who has no one here. The state did not do its part in this file, the prosecutor's office conducted the investigation with negligences. But, at least, we - lawyers, press and women's rights defenders - should not give up following up on this file so that the truth can come to light in this investigation. We expect support from the whole public."

After an application is made to the Constitutional Court, the top court is expected to announce its ruling within four to five months.

What happened?

23-year-old Nadira Kadirova from Uzbekistan was a domestic worker caring for the ill wife of Şirin Ünal, an İstanbul MP for the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Kadirova was found dead in Ünal's house on September 23, 2019.

It was alleged that she committed suicide with Ünal's weapon. The post-mortem procedures of Kadirova were followed by Ünal's chauffeur and the procedures that usually take longer were completed in a few days. After this swift post-mortem examination, the deceased body of Kadirova was sent to her home country and laid to rest there.

The death of Kadirova was found suspicious. While women kept asking "What happened to Nadira?" on social media, the MPs of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) and Felicity Party (SP) brought the issue to the Parliamentary agenda.

In March 2020, the prosecutor's office gave a decision of non-prosecution. (EMK/SD)