Istanbul Bar Association files criminal complaint regarding mining disaster
Following the mining disaster in Erzincan, the Istanbul Bar Association has filed a complaint against the mining company Anagold and Murat Kurum.
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The Istanbul Bar Association has filed a criminal complaint against Anagold, the company that owns the mine where the disaster occurred in İliç, Erzincan.
The individuals and entities named in the Bar Association's complaint include the then-Minister of Environment and Urbanization Murat Kurum, officials from the ministry at the time, Anagold company officials, the General Manager of Environmental Impact Assessment, Permit and Inspection, the experts who authored the positive EIA report, the Governor of Erzincan and provincial governorate officials, the Erzincan Provincial Director of Environment and Urbanization and directorate officials, as well as any other persons whose responsibility for the disaster is determined as a result of the investigation.
"ALL RESPONSIBLE PARTIES MUST BE IDENTIFIED AND TRIED"
The Bar Association, which filed the complaint under the scope of homicide, intentional pollution of the environment, adding toxic substances, ecocide, and other crimes to be determined, included the following statements in its petition:
"It is clear that all authorities at the decision-making and implementation levels bear responsibility for the mining disaster that occurred. Benefiting from a safe and healthy environment is a constitutional right of citizens. Experts, judges, prosecutors, and bureaucrats who act unlawfully are at least as responsible as the mining company. The habit of 'impunity' that we observe in environmental crimes must now be abandoned; all those responsible who caused harm through intent or negligence must be identified and tried. It is necessary to immediately secure evidence regarding this incident.
For this reason, as the Presidency of the Istanbul Bar Association, it has become necessary to submit this petition for the conduct of the required investigation into the incident in question, and for the filing of a public lawsuit to identify and punish those responsible.
A necessity has arisen to demand the identification and prosecution of every responsible person at the level who, despite all deficiencies and risks, abused their duty by turning a blind eye to violations and approving all kinds of permit and licensing processes for the continuation of operations."