Turkish high court ruled for an investigation into the former governor and other senior bureaucrats, responding to an appeal filed by the family of a man killed in the 5.6 magnitude aftershock in Van on November 9, 2011.
Today the earth in Van trembled once more, with an earthquake of 4.1 magnitute recorded.

The city of Van had witnessed a previous 7.2-magnitude earthquakeon October 23, 2011: the effects of this quake were devastating, with over 600 people dead and thousands of building toppled. 

In the aftershock that followed the Bayram Hotel collapsed, killing 24 people, including Selman Kerimoğlu, whose family has launched an appeal against the former governor.

The Constitutional Court on October 30, interestingly referred to the case of murdered Armenian-Turkish journalist Hrant Dink in January 2007, underlining the state’s responsibility to protect the right to life for all individuals.

The Court stated that it was clear that people would reside at the hotel following the first quake. “In this case, - said the Court - it can be expected of responsible persons to conduct a damage assessment for the hotel within 16 days after the first earthquake and decide if evacuation is needed”.
The court ruled for the payment of 20,000 Turkish Liras to Kerimoğlu’s wife and children as compensation and also asked to send the case file to the Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Court of Appeals. This would have to open an investigation against both the  former governor and officials from the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD), a body affiliated with the Office of Turkey’s Prime Ministry. In its judgemente, the court referred to a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) which ruled the country was liable for failing to protect Dink’s life and freedom of expression.