After more than six years of incarceration, Fadıl Şenyaşar has been released from prison following a ruling by Malatya Severe Penalty Court No.3. He has been released under house arrest, along with other detainees from the case of the attack in Suruç in 2018 in which several members of his family were killed. Despite this step forward, the Şenyaşar family has pledged to continue their legal battle for full justice.
“We have waited for this moment for six years and four months. If there had been a fair and impartial trial in Turkey, my brother would have been home within a month,” said Fadıl’s brother Ferit Şenyaşar outside the court. “Unfortunately, the fair trial we hoped for somehow never took place,” he added. Throughout the past six years, the mother of the family, Emine Şenyaşar, has led a tireless campaign for justice, which drew national attention. “All state institutions stood powerless before this mother’s fight,” Ferit remarked.
He said that despite the joy of Fadıl’s release, the struggle for justice is far from over. “We will not say that justice has been served just because our brother has been released. Our legal fight will continue. There are still hundreds, if not thousands, of people in prison like my brother,” he said, pledging to continue their battle.
Speaking about his mother’s role in the campaign, Ferit said that her determination has become an example for others facing injustice. “At the beginning, people passing by would say, ‘You’re doing this in vain, they won’t hear you.’ But today, we’ve seen the results of our fight,” he said.
Fadıl Şenyaşar, who has been released after over six years of imprisonment, also voiced his frustration, directing his words at those who remained silent in the face of the family’s suffering. “May God make all those who caused my mother’s tears and those who remained silent feel the same pain with their own children so they can understand,” he said. He vowed to continue their fight, adding, “The people who brought us to this point will one day be held accountable. Everyone should know that.”
The release comes after an extended period of legal battles following the attack in Suruç, Urfa (Riha), in 2018, which resulted in the deaths of three Şenyaşar family members. The incident, involving individuals linked to former Justice and Development Party (AKP) MP İbrahim Halil Yıldız, sparked widespread outrage and a prolonged campaign for justice led by Emine and Ferit Şenyaşar.
