Yesterday, Turkish courts acquitted the police officers involved in the murder of Tahir Elçi, a prominent Kurdish lawyer specializing in the defense of human rights. Lawyers for the civil parties left the courtroom in protest.
On Wednesday June 12, the Diyarbakir Criminal Court delivered its verdict in the case of the murder of Kurdish lawyer Tahir Elçi. As the court announced the acquittal of the police officers involved in this case, reactions of anger and indignation exploded in the courtroom.
The facts of the case occurred in the Kurdish capital of Diyarbakir (Amed) on November 28, 2015. That day, Tahir Elçi, then president of the Diyarbakir Bar Association, was shot in the head near the minaret on all fours in the historic district of Sur.
During the hearing, the prosecution reiterated its previous request for the acquittal of police officers Sinan Tabur, Fuat Tan and Mesut Sevgi, accused of “causing death through culpable negligence”, while a fourth accused, Uğur Yakışır, still on the run, was facing charges of “disturbing state unity and murder of two police officers”.
During the proceedings, Tahir Elçi’s brother Mehmet Elçi highlighted the absence of crucial evidence, particularly a 13-second gap in the video showing the moment Elçi was shot, and insisted on the allegations of intimidation of witnesses to influence testimony. Nahit Eren, president of the Diyarbakir Bar Association, stressed the importance of the case, describing the murder as a “political assassination” going beyond the judicial framework.
Lawyer Orhan Kemal Cengiz criticized the obvious bias in the court’s approach, denouncing the reluctance to consider incriminating evidence and the deliberate destruction of crucial evidence. A feeling also shared by lawyer Gamze Yalçın, who deplored the lack of in-depth investigation and the leniency of the justice system towards the accused officers.
Finally, lawyer Mehmet Emin Aktar, former president of Diyarbakir, recalled the events surrounding Elçi’s assassination, highlighting the systemic flaws in the investigation and expressing skepticism about the impartiality of the trial.
Throughout the trial, legal experts and civil society representatives expressed concerns about the impartiality and transparency of the legal proceedings, highlighting the broader implications of the case beyond the courtroom. hearing.
When the verdict was announced, the lawyers left the courtroom and headed towards the four-legged minaret where Elçi was murdered 9 years ago. The president of the Diyarbakır Bar Association, Nahit Eren, promised that the case would not go unpunished. “One day, the perpetrators will certainly be held accountable before a real justice system,” he said. And added: “This verdict has no validity in the eyes of the Kurdish people.”
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