Constitutional Court: 'The right to life was violated'

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The Constitutional Court (AYM) announced today its judgment of "violation of the right to life" on the application the family of İnanç Özkeskin who was shot dead during a police raid on his house in 2017.

The supreme court decided that the right to life, protected by article 17 of the Constitution was violated. The ruling will be sent to the İstanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office for the investigation into the event to be renewed.

90 thousand lira of compensation will be paid to Özkeskin's family.

AYM: Police officers in the raid also took part in the investigation

The house where İnaç Özkeskin lived with his father and mother was raided at 00:58 at night on June 13, 2017. 42 police officers participated in the operation. The mother and father only heard shots and İnanç Özkeskin was killed with four bullets in his body.

The investigation of the police officers resulted in a decision of non-prosecution, on grounds that Özkeskin had also fired and was killed in the armed fight that took place.

His mother Güneş Ayşe Özkeskin's objections were rejected and she made an individual application to AYM.

Today's ruling of AYM points out doubts about the investigation being conducted in an independent way. The statements of the mother and father have been taken by police officers who participated in the operation, and the evidence on the scene was also collected by a group including the anti-terror police officers appointed for carrying out the operation.

The supreme court found the investigation conducted insufficient, pointing out that the statements of police officers in the operation and the neighbors who could hear the shots were not taken, although requested by the prosecutor's office.

Again camera shootings of the police officers were not submitted although requested and fingerprints were not examined on the gun that Özkeskin used, states the decision by the court.

AYM also judged that the police report kept does not reflect the operation carried out realistically, making an evaluation using the autopsy report and also the places where the spent bullets have been found.

The ruling of the supreme court also states that the decision of non-prosecution by the court is grounded on self-defense but it lacks an evaluation of if the action taken against the right to life was proportionate.

The investigation into the event will be conducted again by the İstanbul Chief Prosecutor's office. (AS/PE)