Court of Appeals rejected the local court’s verdict for Ergenekon file, in which 274 suspects including former chief of military İlker Başbuğ were being tried.

Assessing the rule of Court of Appeals, Lawyer Mirhan Özbekli said that justice must be equal to everybody.

Indicating that Court of Appeals’ attitude mustn’t be limited merely with Ergenekon suspects, Özbekli urged that all cases after 12^th September 1980 must be revised on a fair basis.

“We have the right to ask why this judiciary doesn’t act equally towards everybody”

Remarking that judiciary system earns respect if it acts equally to everyone, Özbekli said: “The courts can earn respect as long as they treat all sects of society equally. If I am expected to respect this court, this file must be handled in equal conditions. If it is noted that some military staff broke out of the laws, why it isn’t written in the files submitted to the local courts in 1992, 1993, 2005, 2010, 2015. This must be discussed seriously. We object to that. Some religious persons were tried and they were jailed, some of whom have been in prisons for more than 20 years, over insignificant evidences and some other 5 and 10 thousand of people served 5 years in prisons. Now we ask them ‘why can’t you be fair? Why don’t you treat everybody equally?’

“It must be questioned that How come Hizbullah Main Trial, consists of 200 folders, could be finalized just in one day”

“In consideration of Supreme Court’s verdict for Ergenekon case, other files also must be revised” said Özbekli, adding: “Especially the cases took place in the east of Euphrates river referred to the court after 1980s must be questioned how these cases filed, how these the defendants treated, whether they launched investigations or how come Hizbullah Main File, consists of 200 folders, could be finalized just in one day. Why didn’t they display the same sensitivity to these cases? I had many cases during the process. Notably, in the cases of Hizbullah members I had seen no any sensitivity or accuracy. Now, I call on judges and courts; you must regard all citizens equally. We demand from the courts that they should revise all cases after 12 September 1980. It is said that during the recent operations against the structure called Parallel State, some sort of evidences used against Hizbullah cases was obtained by someone had no any relationship with police department or any judiciary institutions. I wonder if Court of Appeals has seen these. Or are we the ones who have seen and heard of these things?.” (ILKHA)