Contemporary Lawyers Association reacted to the decision of the Kahramanmaraş 4th High Criminal Court in the Ezgi Apartment case, where 35 people lost their lives in the February 6 earthquakes.
In the statement, it was said, "We would like to inform the public that we stand with all the earthquake families who are fighting to overturn the decision during the appeal and appeal processes, to determine the criminal character as possible intent, to annul the acquittal decisions and to punish all the defendants to the fullest extent for crimes consistent with their actions."
In the written statement made by the association, they reacted to the decision of the Kahramanmaraş 4th High Criminal Court in the Ezgi Apartment case, where 35 people lost their lives in the February 6 earthquakes.
The relevant statement included the following statements:
"Although everyone knows that the province of Kahramanmaraş is a high-risk earthquake zone, and despite the risk reports prepared by the state institutions themselves, it is not possible to say that public officials who carry out inspections on paper just to comply with the procedure cannot foresee the consequences, despite the fact that they carry out the unscientific and unlawful renovations for their commercial purposes, disregarding human life, and the responsibility for supervision.
We have been saying since the first day of the earthquake, which turned into a massacre due to state policies, that the penalties imposed through conscious negligence in the earthquake files are neither in accordance with the current law nor satisfy the public conscience. Behavior that should be punished in earthquake trials; "The capitalist mentality that prioritizes completing the job as soon as possible and in the most profitable way instead of prioritizing human life, the control processes carried out through friendly relations, are administrative processes that limit the control only to the control on paper, although they are aware that they are playing with human lives."
"THEY WERE RELEASED WITH AN AMNESTY BEFORE THE EXECUTION OF THE PENALTIES WAS COMPLETED"
"When we look at the history of the country, there have been thousands of deaths in the numerous earthquakes that have occurred in our country since the 1999 earthquake. However, very few of those responsible have been brought to justice and even fewer have been punished. In very few of the trials, serious penalties were given, and these sentences were released with amnesty before the execution was completed. To date, although the laws and regulations are constantly renewed both with new scientific data and to meet the needs of the society, there has been no change in the application of the laws.
"Despite all the elements in the legislation and doctrine in practice, all the evidence available within the scope of the file, and the prosecutor's opinion prepared with possible intent, this decision made by the Kahramanmaraş 4th High Criminal Court for Ezgi Apartment is a continuation of the understanding of impunity, a confirmation that the judicial system prioritizes the benefit of capital, not human life, and aims to act as a deterrent when those who are tried are only opponents."
"OUR LIVES ARE NOT SAFE EVEN IN OUR OWN HOMES"
"Our lives, entrusted to the capital accumulation of contractors and the public officials who carry out token controls under their orders, have not been and will not be safe even in our own homes. As the Contemporary Lawyers Association, we do not accept this decision. We inform the public that we stand with all the earthquake families who are fighting for the reversal of the decision in the appeal and appeal processes, the determination of the criminal character as possible intent, the abolition of the acquittal decisions and the punishment of all defendants to the fullest extent for crimes that match their actions."
