Five suspects of Zirve massacre released, Christians anxious

As per a recently passed law that decreased the maximum period of detention to five years, five suspects tried for brutally killing three Christians at the Zirve Publishing House were released pending trial on Friday, a move that has made Christians in Turkey concerned for their safety.

The Association of Protestant Churches of Turkey expressed its concern over the court's decision in a written statement on Saturday. Noting that families of the victims and NGO activists were threatened by the suspects throughout the duration of the case's hearings, the statement read: “As things stand, those who have been threatened are starting to feel rather uneasy. The releases have deeply saddened Christians [in Turkey] and led to them losing faith in [the] justice [system].”

Noting that the suspects of the murder will now be able to move freely in society, the statement continued: “Who will carry the moral responsibility for this shocking decision? … As Christian citizens, our own lives as well as those of our families' are in great danger, and we are following the developments in dismay.”

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