Women to Gather in 45 Cities to Demand Justice for Rabia Naz

* Photograph: Women Assemblies / Twitter

Click to read the article in Turkish

On April 13, 2019, it will be one year since 11-year-old Rabia Naz Vatan suspiciously lost her life in Eynesil, Giresun.

On this day, women will gather in 45 cities of Turkey to demand justice for Rabia Naz and make a call to the authorities to solve her suspicious death.

Upon the call of the Women Assemblies, women will come together in 45 cities to say "Justice for Rabia Naz." The Women's Assemblies have made a call to women with the following statement:

"Today, we demand justice for Rabia Naz in several squares of Turkey. The ones sitting in those seats and trying to cover up this death... Listen carefully: We will follow hard behind this case.

'An effective investigation must be conducted'

"What needs to be done is evident: An effective investigation must be conducted into the death of Rabia Naz; all mechanisms must be operated to uncover this death, not to whitewash the perpetrators.

"We, as the Women Assemblies, are behind this case and on the side of Vatan family so that justice could be served for Rabia Naz and all children could have a smile on their faces. Vatan family will never walk alone in this struggle. We are the justice and we will not keep silent."

Women will come together in 45 cities on April 13 including:

Giresun/Eynesil Square - 12 p.m.
İstanbul/Kadıköy Kalkedon Square - 6 p.m.
İzmir/Alsancak, in front of Erbil Süel – 7 p.m.
Eskişehir/in front of Kanatlı Shopping Mall – 3 p.m.
Ankara/Sakarya Street - 6 p.m.
Antalya/Kapalı Yol (in front of the pool) – 5 p.m.
Aydın/City Square – 3 p.m.
Bilecik/opposite of Teknosa – 3 p.m.
Çorum/in front of Clock Tower – 1 p.m.
Adana/Atatürk Park – 6 p.m.
Çanakkale/in front of Clock Tower – 4 p.m.
Konya/Zafer, in front of Camlı Köşk – 5 p.m.
Samsun/in front of old Konak Cinema – 5 p.m.
Hatay/Atatürk Park – 6 p.m.
Yalova/Cevdet Aydın Park – 3 p.m.
Malatya/above Covered Bazaar – 12 p.m.
Manisa/Manolya Square – 1 p.m.
Kastamonu/in front of Kuzeykent Business Center ATMs – 4 p.m.
Tekirdağ/in front of Association of Hayal Adası Engelsiz Yaşam - 5 p.m.
Kocaeli/Walking Trail – 4 p.m.
Trabzon/Square Park– 3 p.m.
Mersin/Pozcu- in front of Büyük Koton – 4 p.m.
Isparta/in front of Süleyman Demirel Statue - 5 p.m.
Gaziantep/Kırkayak – 3 p.m.
Bursa/Nilüfer Üç Fidan Park Monument - 6 p.m.
Muğla/Sınırsızlık Square – 3 p.m.
Nevşehir/in front of 2000 Evler Ziraat ATMs – 3 p.m.

What happened?

Rabia Naz Vatan was found injured in front of her home in Eynesil, Giresun on April 13, 2018. While the police records said that the girl committed suicide by jumping from the terrace of her family's home, her father claimed that she was killed.

"A car hit my daughter but the hit was not strong enough to result in her death. Those who hit Rabia Naz then brought her near my house to make the incident look like my daughter committed suicide. My daughter lost her life because of blood loss," he said.

Vatan said that the person who hit her daughter by a car was the nephew of Eynesil Mayor Coşkun Somuncuoğlu, according to the information he obtained.

Vatan also claimed that the case was covered up after the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) Giresun MP Nurettin Canikli intervened in.

Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu met with Vatan in February on the killing of his daughter. He told bianet after that the meeting took 10 minutes.

Giresun Chief Public Prosecutor's Office said on Mach 20 that the Görele Chief Public Prosecutor's Office is currently conducting the investigation into the incident and the search for evidence is still continuing.

On March 21, Şaban Vatan was taken into custody upon the complaint of his brother and referred to a mental institution for a mental health check. Father Vatan was then released from detention the next day, on March 22.

On March 26, father Vatan deposed at the security directorate upon the criminal complaint of AKP MP Nurettin Canikli

On April 10, the Giresun Penal Court of Peace has ruled that Şaban Vatan shall be hospitalized in Samsun Mental Health Institution to determine whether he is mentally sound or not.

(AÖ/SD)