Peace Mothers visit Şenyaşar Family on the 217th day of their justice watch

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Emine Şenyaşar lost her spouse and two sons in an attack by the security guards and relatives of İbrahim Halil Yıldız from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Urfa. She and her son Ferit Şenyaşar, who survived the attack, have been seeking justice since then.

Keeping a "justice watch" in front of the Urfa courthouse for 218 days as of today (October 12), the Diyarbakır Peace Mothers Initiative members and the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Youth Assembly members visited the family on the 217th day of their protest yesterday.

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), Kudret Aydın from the Diyarbakır Peace Mothers Initiative made a speech during their visit.

"Our heart is aching, too. We don't want anyone's heart to ache. We only want justice. Mother Emine Şenyaşar has been sitting here for 217 days. His pain will be alleviated, albeit a little bit, if her son is released. Let justice and peace finally come to this land," said Aydın in her speech.

Muhammed Aydın from the HDP Youth Assembly also said, "As the young people from Urfa and from the HDP, we are here for the three members of the Şenyaşar family, who were massacred by the guards and relatives of AKP MP İbrahim Halil Yıldız. We are here to raise mother Emine's cry, we are here to share her sorrow, we are here to salute their resistance."

Telling the visitors about what they have been going through since June 2018, when the attack happened, Emine Şenyaşar wailed, shed tears and reiterated their demand for justice. Joining the family on their watch, the delegations left the area, chanting the slogan, "Right, Law, Justice."

What happened?

During the election campaign of ruling AKP Urfa MP İbrahim Halil Yıldız in Suruç, Urfa on June 14, 2018, an attack turned into an armed conflict, which claimed the lives of Yıldız's brother Mehmet Şah Yıldız, shop owner Hacı Esvet Şenyaşar and his sons Adil and Celal Şenyaşar.

Having lost his father and two brothers and been wounded himself in the incident, Fadıl Şenyaşar was discharged from hospital and detained on June 17. He was then arrested and sent to prison.

Demanding justice for two sons, husband and her arrested son, Emine Şenyaşar and her son Ferit Şenyaşar, who survived the attack, have been keeping a "justice watch" in front of the courthouse.

There has been a confidentiality order on the file of the investigation into the attack for 3 years, 3 months. The second appeal of the Şenyaşar family against the "confidentiality" order on the investigation into the second attack at the Suruç Public Hospital was rejected on April 21, 2021.

The Constitutional Court, to which the family appealed, has not yet given its decision. One of the demands raised by the family on their justice watch is the removal of this "confidentiality" order. (KÖ/SD)