Administrators Rearrested over Fire in Girls’ Student Dorm

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Adana Bar Association Union President Attorney Veli Küçük has announced that the four association administrators who were first arrested and later released over the fire in the girls' dorm in Aladağ district of Turkey's southern province of Adana killing 12 people including 11 children, have been arrested again.

Upon objection by attorneys from Adana Bar Commission for Children Rights, Social Aid Association and Aladağ Public Chief Prosecutor's office, the four administrators were arrested and sent to prison again.

In the investigation run by Aladağ Public Chief Prosecutor's Office following the dorm fire, dorm director Cumali Genç, director of Aladağ Aid Association for Course Students and Pupils İsmail Uğur and four administrators of the dorm Ramazan Keleş, Ramazan Dede, Mustafa Öztaş, Mahir Kılınç were arrested on December 4, 2016.

Keleş, Dede, Öztaş and Kılınç were released on January 22, 2017 after their attorneys challenged the decision on the grounds that the expert report said that the respective administrators were only secondary suspects.

What had happened?

On November 26, 11 children and one dorm staff had lost their lives in the fire that broke out at Özel Aladağ Tahsil Çağındaki Talebelere Yardım Derneği Ortaöğretim Kız Öğrenci Yurdu, a girls' student dorm, in the evening hours in Adana province.

An investigation was launched by Kozan Public Chief Prosecutor's Office into the reasons causing the fire. Those responsible for the breakout of fire were charged with "causing death by negligence".

Detention order was issued for 14 people including the dorm director C.G. 4- year-old daughter of the dorm director was also among those who lost their lives. (YY/DG)