The legal struggle surrounding the Isias Hotel, which became the final resting place for the Champion Angels during the February 6, 2023 earthquake in Türkiye, continues.
The fourth hearing of the Isias Hotel case began at around 10:00 AM. today at the Adıyaman 3rd High Criminal Court.
The families of the Champion Angels, alongside Prime Minister Ünal Üstel, several ministers, politicians, representatives from the Bar Association, and journalists, gathered outside the Adıyaman courthouse to follow the hearing.
The families, holding banners outside the courthouse, demanded accountability, with messages such as “Those who granted licenses with missing documents are guilty,” “You will pay for the lives lost for your interests,” and “Justice will come with probable intent.”
The determination of the families in seeking justice for their loved ones remains steadfast as the court proceedings continue.
A contingent numbering some 100 people on Monday travelled to the southeastern Turkish city of Adiyaman ahead of hearing of the trial of the 11 people held responsible for the collapse of the city’s Isias hotel, which killed 24 children, 11 adults, and 37 others last year.
The group, which consists of family members of those who were killed, politicians, a delegation of the Cyprus Turkish bar association, and a number of journalists departed from Ercan airport first for Gaziantep on Monday morning, before continuing on to Adiyaman over land.
All 11 defendants are currently standing accused of “causing death by conscious negligence”
If found guilty, they could face a maximum of 22 and a half years in prison each.
However, the families of those killed have demanded that the 11 be charged with intentionally killing all 72 victims.brt