İHD İstanbul calls for perpetrators of Roboski Massacre to be brought to justice
The Human Rights Association (İHD) Istanbul Branch, in its written statement on the anniversary of the Roboski massacre, emphasized the ongoing struggle for justice:
"We call on state authorities... Take steps to alleviate the suffering of those affected by massacres to prevent the occurrence of new ones. Prosecute those responsible for Roboski and all massacres, reveal the truths, and confront the realities."
İstanbul branch of the Human Rights Association (İHD) declared that despite the perpetrators of the massacre being known, there has been no effective investigation or legal process:
"While the grieving families' quest for justice is being hindered through pressure, the perpetrators of the massacre are being shielded. Neither the then-prime minister who claimed 'I gave the order,' nor the pilots who knowingly rained bombs on people, nor their superiors have been brought to justice," says the statement and summarized the legal process.
File closed at General Staff Military Prosecutor's Office
Accordingly, the investisgation file initiated by the Gülyazı Republic Prosecutor's Office and transferred to the Diyarbakır Prosecutor's Office was deemed incompetent and sent to the General Staff Military Prosecutor's Office, which, in 2014, decided not to pursue the case and closed the file.
After the objection to this decision by the relatives of those who lost their lives in the Roboski massacre and the survivors of the massacre was also rejected, the case was taken to the Constitutional Court. However, the Constitutional Court, on February 24, 2015, issued a rejection decision citing missing documents, further denying justice to the demands made.
On August 22, 2016, the massacre was taken to the European Court of Human Rights with 281 individual applications. However, the European Court of Human Rights, disregarding the fact that the applications were related to a violation of the right to life, and moreover, a massacre, issued an inadmissibility decision in May 2018, citing the late submission of certain documents to the Constitutional Court as a reason. Thus, the aftermath of a massacre was covered with the armor of impunity, by all those concerned.
New attacks on the same people and murdering of Tahir Elçi
The statement highlighted that in addition to the pressure faced by the people of Roboski in their pursuit of justice, they have also become targets of new attacks.
In the statement, it was conveyed that the people of Roboski were once again targeted on May 29, 2016. "Similar to the previous incident, at the same location and hour, a group of 40 villagers was struck, by mortar shells fired from the Gülyazı regiment headquarters. In this attack, Vedat Encü and Yılmaz Encü lost their lives, and three others were injured. The people of Roboski and Gülyazı were once again punished, this time for refusing to become village guards and persisting in their quest for justice," it states and adds:
"The state's stance remained the same as before; initially, blood money was offered to the families, and when they persisted in seeking justice, pressures followed one after another."
The statement also recalled the assassination of human rights advocate and Diyarbakır Bar Association President Tahir Elçi on November 28, 2015, who was actively working to shed light on the massacre and bring the perpetrators to justice.
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The statement expresses that the pursuit of justice cannot be halted, despite all these challenges, stating: 'Our common demand in Roboski and all massacres is for truth and justice against crimes against humanity. Let the traumas caused by these massacres be overcome, and may such atrocities never happen again."
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(AS/PE)