Tahir Elçi verdict protested in Diyarbakır

Diyarbakır 10th High Criminal Court ruled for the acquittal of police officers M.S., F.T. and S.T. in the case related to the murder of Diyarbakır Bar Association President Tahir Elçi in front of the historical Four-Legged Minaret in Diyarbakır's Sur district on November 28, 2015. The Diyarbakır 10th High Criminal Court acquitted the police officers M.S., F.T. and S.T. who were on trial without arrest.

The verdict was not read for the fugitive defendant Uğur Yakışır, who is on trial for “killing two police officers and disrupting the unity and integrity of the state”.

After the acquittal verdict was released, lawyers evacuated the courtroom and protested against the verdict. Hundreds of lawyers gathered in front of the courthouse, marched to the Four-Legged Minaret where Tahir Elçi was shot and criticized the verdict with a press statement.

Eren: The real perpetrators of Tahir Elçi will surely be held accountable before the judiciary

Diyarbakır Bar Association President Nahit Eren reiterated his views at the site of the shooting:

"Tahir Elçi's shooting occurred on the date when a detention order was issued against him in Istanbul. In other words, this process started with that dark detention order and they are trying to close that process again with a dark judicial closure order. Tahir Elçi's case will not go unpunished. Maybe today's government and today's political atmosphere led to such a decision, but one day the real perpetrators of Tahir Elçi will surely be held accountable before the judiciary."

“We have come here once again to announce to the public the promise we made to our president at the very place where he was shot, in this ancient place," said Eren. "We came here once again today to show our determination, our will, our power. Yes, it resulted in acquittal, but we will certainly take this case to the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights.”

“The decision has no meaning for the public”

Eren said, “The Kurdish society and the Turkish society had already made their decision about Tahir Elçi's murder on the first day. This decision was based on Tahir Elçi's identity, his struggle for human rights and why he was targeted. This decision is the decision that applies to us.

The President of the Diyarbakır Bar Association emphasized that they “continue to fight for the verdict in the public conscience actually to be recorded in the courtrooms.”

“Once again, in front of the Four-Legged Minaret where the Diyarbakır Bar Association President was assassinated, I make a promise today as a bar association president as long as my strength lasts, as long as my life lasts,” he said.

Bar Association President Sağkan: Acquittal verdict is a mockery

Erinç Sağkan, President of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations, emphasized the striking contrast between the gravity of the murder and the “mockery of common sense” in the verdict.

"Exactly 3,120 days ago, right in front of the Four-Legged Minaret that you can see behind us, Bar President Tahir was assassinated right here while making a statement to prevent the historical and cultural fabric of this city from being destroyed. We have tried to ensure that a man of law who devoted his life to the struggle for human rights and the fight against impunity does not go unpunished for this grave attack and massacre. However, despite the practice of the prosecutor's office during the investigation process and all the requests of the lawyers and participating attorneys to expand the investigation and prosecution, not collecting this evidence in such a serious and critical case file, and then saying that they have done all kinds of investigations, but the defendant benefits from suspicion, the presumption of innocence, and then issuing an acquittal decision is, to put it mildly, mocking and ridiculing common sense. We will not allow this."

Sağkan brought the murder into its historical context: “There was a murder in this country and the prime minister of the time said ‘this is a political assassination’”.

"This court couldn't even listen to the prime minister of that period. For 11 hearings we have been there, the judge is there, the prosecutor is there, the lawyers are there, yet the defendants are not there. For 11 sessions we have been conducting a trial without seeing the faces of the defendants. We said we would not legitimize this trial. However, we believe that within the legal system, of course, this incident will be brought to light. For this, we will continue to continue the legal struggle until the end."

Tahir Elçi Foundation President Mahsum Batı: We will not back down from our struggle

Mahsum Batı, President of the Tahir Elçi Foundation, stated that they will continue their struggle until the foundation achieves its goal and impunity ends.

"Tahir Elçi was shot under the Four-Legged Minaret. Today, Tahir Elçi was shot once again by the Diyarbakır 10th High Criminal Court. The perpetrators have been left unpunished. We know and recognize the perpetrators. We say here once again that we will not stop our struggle until the perpetrators and the shadowy forces behind them are exposed and sentenced to the punishments they deserve."

(İY/AEK/DT)