‘We are punished because we demand justice’

* Photo: Twitter

Click to read the article in Turkish

"I am the elder brother of Dilek Doğan, who was shot to death with a single bullet to her heart six years ago from today because she told the police officers who raided our house to wear a shoe cover."

Shooting 25-year-old Dilek Doğan to death in a raid to her house in Küçük Armutlu Neighborhood in İstanbul's Sarıyer, the police officer named Y.M. has been sentenced to 6 years, 3 months in prison.

Emrah Doğan, her elder brother, has sent a letter to bianet from prison. He says that he is arrested because he demanded justice for his sister.

'My parents, siblings faced an investigation'

In his letter, Emrah Doğan notes that his entire family has come under judicial pressure because of their struggle for justice:

"I am writing to you behind bars because they are taking a revenge on our entire family since we have told the world about Dilek's murderers and waged a struggle for justice. My share in all these is imprisonment based on an indictment full of conspiracies.

"Investigations have been launched against my mother, father and siblings. One of my elder brothers had to leave his family here and go abroad. My nephew is now growing up without embracing his father as much as he wants. We are punished just because we want justice.

"Trying to intimidate people seeking their rights has become a normalcy of our country's judicial system. As a matter of fact, they are trying to make us get used to it. They are giving a message to the whole society through us so that our struggle for justice will not set a 'bad example' to other people who were faced with atrocity: 'We raid your house one night, massacre and leave. We will make you rot in prisons if you talk about law or justice."

'We crave for justice more than ever before'

Emrah Doğan was arrested on charge of "membership in a terrorist organization" on January 15, 2019. His trial is still ongoing. He refers to his indictment and says that the witnesses do not know him, anonymous witnesses give contradictory statements and he is put on trial solely based on these statements as evidence. He will have his next hearing on March 10.

Concluding his letter, he says, "We are now craving for justice more than ever before; don't let my cry for justice go unheard by unlawfulness."

What happened?

The police raided the house where Dilek Doğan was living with her family in Küçük Armutlu neighborhood in Sarıyer, İstanbul at around 4.30 a.m. on October 18, 2015. She was shot to death by a police bullet. Wounded in her lungs, she was then taken to the intensive care unit of the Doğan Okmeydanı Training and Research Hospital.

She lost her life on October 25, 2015.

The indictment filed into the killing of Dilek Doğan was accepted on December 12, 2015. Facing 20 years to 26 years, 6 months in prison, police officer Y.M. stood trial on charge of "deliberate killing with negligence" as per the Article 83 of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK).

At the seventh hearing held by the İstanbul 12th Heavy Penal Court, the police officer was sentenced to 6 years, 3 months in prison. The prison sentence was upheld by the court of appeals. The file is now expecting to be examined by the Court of Cassation. (AS/SD)