Lawyers in İstanbul Courthouse for Last Justice Watch: ‘Our Struggle will Continue’

* Photograph: Ayça Söylemez/ bianet

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The Justice Watch, which has been held every week in front of the İstanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan in solidarity with the arrested lawyers, was held for the 85th and last time today (December 27).

Flying balloons in their last gathering, the lawyers made a joint statement for the press and said, "We are repeating what we said in the beginning: Our struggle for justice, peace and democracy will continue with determination."

* Lawyer Kemal Aytaç. Photograph: Melda Onur/ Twitter

Reading out the statement for the press, lawyer Kemal Aytaç emphasized that the Justice Watch, which was attacked by the police in its first week, has uninterruptedly continued for 85 weeks with the same determination despite all obstacles. Aytaç continued as follows:

"Unlawfulness has never been as reckless as today"

"It is, of course, not without a reason that the Justice Watch has resolutely and uninterruptedly continued for 85 weeks: The quest for justice has never been as burning as it is today and it has never become such an urgent social need and demand as it currently is.

"Yes, injustice has always existed in this country; but, injustice, unlawfulness and arbitrariness have never been as recklessly experienced as it is today.

* Photograph: Melda Onur/ Twitter

"We demanded justice for everyone"

"We demanded justice not only for ourselves and the ones, with whom we hold the same views and opinions, but for everyone. We did not request the enemy law, but requested law even for our enemies."

In the statement, Aytaç also reminded that in the lawsuit filed against nine lawyers who were detained after the first Justice Watch, the İstanbul 50th Penal Court of First Instance ruled for the acquittal of the lawyers by underlining the importance of freedom of association and its close relation with the freedom of expression in democracies.

"We saw that there is safety in numbers"

Aytaç concluded the statement as follows:

"The Justice Watch has, once again, reminded us of the power and importance of being together and in company of each other. We have, once again, seen and proven in life that the struggle has nurtured and empowered us and there is safety in numbers and solidarity.

"We are repeating what we said in the beginning: The Justice Watch is coming to an end; but, our struggle for justice, fundamental rights and freedoms, peace and democracy will continue."

After the statement, lawyers flew red balloons in their robes, chanting the slogan, "Right, law, justice."

(PT/SD)