Fadıl Şenyaşar, a Kurdish man detained for nearly six years in Turkey, was again denied release at the latest court hearing on Friday, despite his family’s vehement protests.
The case revolves around a violent incident on 14 June 2018 in Suruç, a district in the Kurdish-majority southeastern province of Şanlıurfa (Riha). During the parliamentary election period, a confrontation erupted from a provocative visit by İbrahim Halil Yıldız, a rival AKP candidate, to a shop owned by the Şenyaşar family, who support the pro-Kurdish party. The violence, which occurred both at the family-owned shop and later at a local hospital, resulted in multiple injuries and deaths. Since then, Fadıl has been detained, and his family has been campaigning for his release, claiming political motivations behind his arrest and pointing out irregularities in the handling of the case.
On Friday, the Malatya 3rd High Criminal Court held its sixth session regarding the Şenyaşar Family Murders. Fadıl, along with other defendants, attended via a video link from Elazığ Prison. His mother, Emine Şenyaşar, and his brother, Ferit, a DEM Party MP who survived the assault, were present in the courtroom.
The trial began with witness Gökhan Serdal recounting the chaos at the hospital on the day of the incident, including his witnessing of violent attacks and gunfire. The court queried Serdal about discrepancies in his testimonies regarding hearing gunshots. Another witness, Emine Kılınç, detailed the emergency response and the hostile environment they faced while trying to save lives, including an attempt to cut a victim’s throat with glass during the turmoil.
During the hearing, advocate Sevda Çelik Özbingöl argued for Fadıl’s release, citing his extended pre-trial detention as a violation of justice. She and other legal representatives emphasised the need for a fair trial and highlighted alleged manipulation and destruction of evidence. In contrast, defendant Enver Yıldız’s statements targeted the legitimacy of the Justice Vigil led by Emine Şenyaşar.
Fadıl himself spoke out, accusing law enforcement of complicity in the attack and criticising the withholding of crucial evidence by the authorities. “Those responsible for the massacre are still free,” he declared, pointing out the ongoing suffering of his family due to the unresolved legal proceedings.
The court decided to continue the detention of the accused, setting the next hearing for 12 July.
