The Amed Bar Association held a press statement in front of the Diyarbakir Courthouse for the opening of the court year. Large numbers of lawyers attended the press statement where Bar Association Chairperson Ahmet Özmen gave a speech, commemorating Tahir Elçi who was murdered in Sur by state forces and others who gave their lives in pursuit of justice. Özmen said there have been many injust practices in the region and the country and pointed out that with the State of Emergency, various fundamental rights and freedoms have been suspended and rendered unexercisable, the violations have been left outside judicial control and that the judiciary in general has been disfunctional for the most part.

“INJUSTICE AND UNLAWFULNESS CONTINUES”

“The injust and unlawful practices of the State of Emergency period haven’t ended and there has been no hopeful development in these matters, this fact can be observed and voiced by all,” stressed Özmen and gave the agression against Saturday Mothers as an example.

“UNLESS KURDISH ISSUE IS RESOLVED”

Özmen said, “As the Diyarbakır Bar Association, we state once more here that we will continue our fight for human rights, democracy, justice and law without any frustration or pessimism,” and added that no issues can be resolved until the Kurdish issue is resolved. Özmen said: “The only way to have a lasting solution for the Kurdish issue is peace, democracy and dialogue.”

“THEY WANT TO SILENCE POLITICIANS, JOURNALISTS AND THE OPPOSITION”

Özmen protested the lack of progress in the Tahir Elçi murder investigation and continued: “They want to silence politicians, MPs, journalists, academics and all of the opposition through the judiciary. Construction of a non-ideological, non-political judiciary independent from the executive power and all forces and groups today has become a necessity.”

Bar Association Chairperson Ahmet Özmen said lawyers are experiencing more and more restrictions in the area of their work every day.