It became a grave for 36 people: Fugitive defendants set conditions to appear in court

The third hearing of the case regarding the Ezgi Apartment, which collapsed in the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes and became a grave for 36 people, was held yesterday. During the hearing, lawyer Ersan Şen requested a guarantee document for the fugitive defendants, stating, "My clients are innocent, I am not hiding them. My clients are not abroad, but do not issue a red notice." Şen's request was denied.

36 people lost their lives in the Ezgi Apartment, which collapsed in seconds during the February 6 earthquakes. The third hearing of the case, in which the shop owners on the ground floor of the building—where columns and beams were allegedly cut—are fugitives, was held yesterday at the Kahramanmaraş 4th High Criminal Court.

During the hearing, two pastry shop employees who were witnesses, as well as lawyers for the plaintiffs and the defendants, were heard. Witness Y.B., who spoke at the hearing, said, "I was a counter clerk at the pastry shop. Renovations were made in 2017 and something was missing in the renovation. The column near the cash register was cut. In the kitchen area, ventilation..."

"THEY WILL NOT COME WITHOUT THIS GUARANTEE"

The statement by the fugitive defendants' lawyer, Ersan Şen, that "they want the red notice just to share it on social media" drew backlash.

Nurgül Göksu, a relative of the victims, replied, "I do not want the red notice just to share it on social media. They have branches in many countries. These people send ice cream to Iraq by trucks. They could be traveling inside trucks just like FETÖ members did in the past. I think they are abroad through such illegal routes."

Upon this, tensions rose in the courtroom when Şen said, "There is no trace that the defendants are abroad. They also want to come to the trial, but they want to be tried without arrest with a guarantee document. They will not come without this guarantee, they will not be able to make their defense, and the case will not end."

The court panel announced that it would issue instructions to law enforcement to determine whether the defendants are abroad. The hearing was adjourned to October 4.