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Turkey:Hopes of justice for assassinatedhuman rightslawyeras three police officers go on trial

The trial of three police officers accused of killingprominent human rightslawyerTahirElipresents a long overdue chance for justice,Amnesty International saidtoday.On 28 November 2015,TahirEliwas shot in the headshortly after giving astatementat a press conferencein the city ofDiyarbakr, where the first trial hearing ofthree ofthe accused begins today.

A 2019 report byForensic Architecture concluded,by a process ofelimination,that TahirEliwas most likely killed by one of threepoliceofficers present at the scene.Theseofficersface charges ofcausing death by culpable negligence, which carry a prison sentence of two to six years.

Almost five years after the bullet that killed Tahir Eli was fired, there is hope that the person who pulled the trigger will finally face justice. Tahir Eli worked to help victims of human rights violations get justice, campaigning for an end to violence and respect for the rights of the Kurdish people.

It isa bitter irony that TahirElislife was cut short by the very violence he was campaigning to end.Justice forTahirEliwould be a glimmer of hope in a country where impunity is sadly endemic.

In the weeks preceding TahirElisbrutal killing, hehad beenvilifiedand detained and a bogus prosecution was opened against him. He also received multiple death threatswhich he openly spoke about, but the authorities did not put in place any measures to protect him.

This campaign of intimidationfollowed comments he made during a TV programmein which he statedthat the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)wasnot a terrorist organisation but an armed political movement with popular support. Justbeforehis murderTahirElihad told the press:"Wedont want guns here, clashes, or [police] operations".

TrkanEli, TahirEliswidow saidA gaping wound has opened in societys consciousness when a lawyer who believed in the struggle against war and violence wasgunned downin full view of everyone.Although the prosecution has been delayed by five years, weremainhopefulthat justice will be done. We have notgivenup on our belief in the law.

BACKGROUND

The first hearing in the trial of three police officers and an alleged PKK militant is starting on 21 October at theDiyarbakir Heavy Penal Court No 10.

Amnesty International Turkey will be present to observe the start of the long-awaited trial,along with dozens of human rights lawyers, activists and others.

In2015, Diyarbakrs iconic four-legged minaret was damaged during armed clashes between the Turkish security forces and members of the armed PKK.Two days,TahirElispoke at a press conference at the site, calling for an end to the violence. As the press conference ended, police officers present at the scene fired at two suspected members of the armed PKK,who were running down the street where TahirEliwas standing by the monument.

The investigation into his killingwas flawed:the area was not securedimmediately,and a thorough crime scene investigation was not carried outfor almost four months.The police officers present at the time were only interviewed as witnesses.

At the time of his assassination, TahirEliwas the President of Diyarbakr Bar Association,whichcommissioned UK-based researchorganizationForensic Architecture to examinethe case.Forensic Architecturesreport andtheaccompanying video are availablehereandweresubmitted to theprosecuting authorities in 2019, forming part of the indictment that was accepted in March 2020. It was afterthe authorities reviewedthis evidence that thethree police officers who had fired shots on the day were interviewed as suspects. Theyarenowindicted in the prosecution.

TahirElirepresented families of victims of human rights violationsatthe hands ofTurkishsecurity force-including enforced disappearances and suspected unlawful killings by government agents. Over many years, he played a key role in representing victims of these crimes before domestic courts and the European Court of Human Rights,helpedto establishscores of human rights organizations in Turkey,and worked closely with international human rights groups, including Amnesty International.

For more information or to arrange an interview contactat the court: -Tark Beyhan,Amnesty International Turkey - Campaigns and Communications Director,+90 533 921 10 11tarik.beyhan@amnesty.org.trORpress@amnesty.orgalison.abrahams@amnesty.org +32 (0) 483 680 812

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Turkey: Hopes of justice for assassinated human rights lawyer as three police officers go on trial - Amnesty International