Şenyaşar family celebrates Feast of Sacrifice in front of Urfa Courthouse

Ferit Şenyaşar, who continues the vigil for justice with his mother Emine Şenyaşar, stated that they will not celebrate the Eid al-Adha and said: "We will continue to mourn in front of the court in Urfa."

The Justice Vigil carried out by the Şenyaşar family has reached day 488. The vigil was launched on 9 March 2021 by Emine Şenyaşar, who lost her husband and two sons as a result of the attack carried out by AKP Deputy Ibrahim Halil Yıldız's bodyguards and relatives, in Suruç, province of Urfa, on 14 June 2018.

The vigil has been carried out since then in front of the Urfa Courthouse by Emine Şenyaşar and her son Ferit, who survived the attack.

4 years of repression

Speaking at the vigil on Friday, Ferit Şenyaşar said: "The persecution of the judiciary has been going on for 4 years. On Saturday, the Feast of Sacrifice, the leaders will show life as normal and publish holiday messages, but there has been a mother who has been shedding tears for a year and a half in front of Urfa Courthouse, and her only demand is for the laws to work."

'We are still mourning'

Noting that there had been a confidential decision regarding the massacre at the hospital for 4 years and that no lawsuit had been filed, Şenyaşar said: “The attack on our shop, 4 years ago, is available in the video by security cameras. There is an expert report. What my brother did was within the scope of self-defense. If there had been a fair trial, our brother would be among us now. Our brother has been kept in a solitary cell for 4 years by the orders of someone in high position. We haven't celebrated the Feast of Sacrifice for 4 years. We will continue our struggle because we know we are right. Millions of people support our cause. Because the justice we want will one day be needed by someone else. Tomorrow is the Feast of Sacrifice. Our house will be the gate of the Urfa Courthouse until justice comes. We will not celebrate the Feast of Sacrifice and we will continue to mourn here. We will not leave here until justice is done."

The family tagged artist Tarkan, Ministry of Justice, Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdağ, Deputy Chairman of AKP Local Government Mehmet Özhaseki on their social media account, and said: "Today, while the leaders are sending holiday messages, a mother will continue to wait for justice at the door of the Courthouse in Urfa. This Courthouse has been her home for 488 days. ... The pain that hasn't stopped for 4 years, the tears didn't stop...”