CHP Istanbul Deputy Barış Yarkadaş said, “AKP government has made the trust for judges diminish. The fairness of the justice system has fallen of the map. They don’t even trust the judges and the prosecutors they appoint themselves.”
CHP Deputy Barış Yarkadaş who continued his referendum campaign in Kartal, criticized the fact that the prosecutor and the judge were suspended from duty after releasing 21 journalists.
‘Don’t expect a fair decision’
CHP Media Commission Member Barış Yarkadaş who expressed his reaction over Twitter, said “To suspend the prosecutor and the judge who pushed for the release of the journalists, is to diminish the trust in the judges entirely. From now on, no prosecutor would push for anyones’ release, no judge would have an impartial decision.”
Striking reminder
Yarkadaş reminded that seven months ago Judge İbrahim Lorasdağı, who had Atilla Taş arrested, was on duty at the Penal Court of Peace, and said:
“Judge Lorasdağı was rewarded after having the group, including Murat Aksoy and Atilla Taş, arrested. Lorasdağı, while he was a Judge at the Penal Court of Peace, was promoted several ranks at once and was made the president of 25. High Criminal Court.
Atilla Taş saw the Penal Court of Peace judge who had him arrested, as a president seven months later at the court he was taken to. Taş, on that day, said ‘I am detained on the decisions of a judge like you. On my way here, I had some hope that justice would prevail. When I saw you as the president, all of my hopes melted away.”
After the four-day-long trial, Taş and 20 of his friends were released since there was no evidence. However, this decision triggered the government. That same night, an online lynching campaign was launched throughout the social media against the judges.”
They appointed them themselves
CHP’s Yarkadaş stated that it is horrifying that the judge and his committee was suspended of their duties because they decided to release the detainees.
Yarkadaş reminded again that the judge was promoted to become the president of the 25. High Criminal Court, after the July 15th FETÖ coup plot, and continued:
“Needless to say, this is AKP’s understanding of justice! AKP expects absolute allegiance from the judiciary. If the judge who is appointed by them makes a decision that displeases them, they pull the plug on him. This instance should set an example to all of the law people who became equerries to the government. They should keep in mind; they are only there to be tossed away once AKP is done with them. Therefore, they shouldn’t trust the government and make unlawful decisions.”
“Don’t step out of line”
Yarkadaş completed his speech by saying:
“The government is intimidating the judiciary by suspending judges that they have appointed themselves in the first place. ‘It says, you are going to decide as I please, you will not step out of line.’ This is a huge intimidation. The prosecutors have been put under great pressure. The prosecutors will be forced to forge evidence and deceive the rule of law, in order not to exacerbate the government. From now on, no judge could adjudicate impartially on political trials. While announcing the decision, his hand would go to his gavel, but his mind would go to the Palace… ‘What would the Palace say?’, he would think to himself. This is how justice dies… It will be hard, but we will eventually manage to leave these days behind and regain the concept of justice again. Regardless of what they do, one day, justice will prevail…”
Precedent example
Yarkadaş also stated that the situation that 21 people are in could purvey a precedent example to court cases all around the world, and that it could go down in history.
