Children’s Drawings Seized in Closed Roboski Association
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Justice for Roboski (Robozik), Peace for the Earth Foundation was forced to halt its operations first and later shut down in the Statutory Decree No. 679.
Roboski monument in a park on Dicle Provincial boulevard was removed four days ago.
Two days later, the association's assets which consisted of tables, chairs and computers were seized.
We have talked to the President of the Association, Veli Öncü who was also in custody for seven days on charge of "propagandizing for an [illegal] organization".
Öncü has explained that they had been making rehabilitation through arts with children between the age of eight and 15, who have lost their relatives in Roboski massacre. Öncü reported that the materials they used in their studies and the paintings and drawings made by the children were seized.
Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Şırnak Deputy Ferhat Encü, who also lost 11 acquaintances in Roboski massacre will attend the hearing before Cizre 3rd Criminal Court of Justice today (January 12) through an audio and visual information system.
Custody over Roboski tweets
The President of the association, Veli Öncü had been taken into custody on December 25, 2016 and released after seven days in detention.
Accused of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" Encü noted that he had been taken into custody over two tweets. The first one was "Roboski massacre in its fifth year" and added "there was also a photograph of the families attending the commemoration. They attached even that photograph in the criminal file.
"And then there was the tweet in which I wrote 'One can't look for human rights in a country where murderers are protected'. I was charged with 'propagandizing for the terrorist organization' on that ground".
What had happened?
On December 28, 2011, 34 people were hit by fighter jets in Uludere district of Şırnak province in southeastern Turkey.
On June 11, 2013, Public Prosecution of Diyarbakır decided of non-jurisdiction about the case due to "reckless homicide" and sent the case to Military Prosecution of General Staff.
Military Prosecution decided not to prosecute the case further on January 7, 2014. Lawyers of the victims' families objected to the decision, but they were rejected.
Following this, the case was brought before the Constitutional Court.
In a preliminary administrative examination of the application and its attachments, the court demanded some missing documents in the application to be submitted yet the application was rejected on February 24, 2015 due to "outstanding documents not being submitted in time".
The 281 applicants affected by Roboski Massacre made an application to the European Court of Human Right on August 23, 2016 claiming human rights violations, the right to life in particular. (AS/DG)