Ferit Şenyaşar demands an end to persecution on 347th day of Vigil for Justice

The Justice 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 İbrahim 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. The vigil has reached day 347.

The family comes to the Urfa Courthouse, 42 kilometres from their home in Suruç district, to continue the Justice Vigil every day, except at weekends when they continue their action at home.

Emine Şenyaşar today could not attend the vigil in front of the courthouse as she fell ill.

17 lawsuits against the Şenyaşar family

Ferit Şenyaşar, who carried out the action alone, pointed to the banner behind him and said: “We are carrying out our struggle in a legal way. However, the police have filed 13 lawsuits against my mother and 4 lawsuits against me, for a total of 17 lawsuits.”

Ferit Şenyaşar said that they told the prosecutors about this unlawfulness and injustice when they went to the police station. The family demanded this persecution to end. “Prosecutors and police told us, ‘You are right, but we follow orders. This is not our job.’ People all over Turkey are following our case. This is Turkey’s legal shame. Let justice prevail, end this persecution.”