Parents of slain Gabonese student seek justice amid lack of progress in trial

The third hearing of the trial concerning the death of Gabonese university student Jeannah Dinabongho Ibouanga, or Dina, in Zonguldak was held yesterday. Dina's lifeless body was found by the Filyos River along the Zonguldak-Karabük road.

Representatives from the Ibouanga family were accompanied by lawyers from the group "Feminists for Dina" at the trial in the Karabük Heavy Penal Court. After passing through security checkpoints, the family and lawyers were admitted to the courtroom. The hearing began approximately an hour and a half later than scheduled.

Speaking through an interpreter during the hearing, Dina's mother, Jessica Sandra Makemba Panga Ibouanga, stated, "We believe that you will ensure justice. Our complaint persists. We came from Gabon to Turkey to seek justice, therefore, we want the case to progress legally. We want justice to be served as soon as possible. We come and go, but there is no result. Our child is dead, and there is no outcome. We want tangible results. We demand justice."

Dina's father, Guy Serge Ibouanga, also demanded justice and recounted the events of the night: "Dina was with her friends on the night between Saturday and Sunday. She went downstairs [to her relative's apartment]. At that moment, she was confined [to the basement of the building] by some individuals.

"Dina escaped from the basement, and we saw her running from there. A car came, and she called for help. She got into the car to seek help, then she got out of the car and ran across the road. Later, the accused went to where my daughter was found dead. It is a huge coincidence that the defendant went to the exact location where my daughter died. I now demand justice for my daughter. It is very clear that the defendant was at the scene. I sent my daughter to study, and I received her back in a coffin. I want the truth and justice."

The only detained defendant in the case is the person who drove the car that Dina boarded.

Lawyers request on-site inspection

The lawyers persisted in their request for an on-site inspection. Rabia Gündoğmuş stated, "A decision has not yet been made regarding an on-site inspection in the case. We request that this be determined, and we demand information on the weather conditions at the time of the incident from the relevant ministry."

The lawyers pointed out the deficiencies in the case file and expressed their belief that the release of the defendant would influence the witnesses. They requested a denial of the release petition.

Gülyeter Aktepe stated, "We want a date for an inspection to understand Dursun A.'s role in the incident. Without revealing the connection between what happened at the Filyos River and what happened in the basement of the Han Apartment, the truth cannot be revealed in this case. It is necessary to examine the process before reaching the Filyos River.

"There has been no clarification on whether the suspects in the file are connected. A report on the hair found there has not been prepared. I believe that the inspection in the basement is crucial in this case."

Büşra Altınok addressed the problems faced by foreign students in Karabük. "In the last hearing, they discussed the existence of racism in Karabük. The judge also said, 'Do not delve into other social issues, do not make our job more difficult.'"

Defendant pleads innocent

"I only drove the car; I did not harm our deceased daughter. I am a diabetic; I was tense when I arrived there. I wondered why she got out of my car. I did not harass her. I do not know the people mentioned. I called the commissioner four times, but he did not answer. Before and after this incident, I have nothing to say."

Defense attorneys said, "We believe that the suspicion against our client is unfounded. Our client is innocent and should be released."

"We understand that our client will remain in custody as long as this hearing continues. We want the case to enter the decision-making phase. I don't think that an inspection will contribute to the file. We see that three witnesses who were questioned have fled abroad. It is clear that they will not come. They left the country while saying 'Justice for Dina.' We demand that the inspection be canceled, and our client be released. It is cruel for him to be in prison when he is not guilty."

"Truth is not sought to be illuminated"

Following the hearing, a statement was issued by "Feminists for Dina":

"More than a year has passed since the lifeless body of Dina was found by the Filyos River, yet the truths behind her death remain unilluminated; they are not sought to be illuminated. The judicial panel has been treating the case merely as a legal matter from the beginning; it refuses to question the power relations behind the murder; it practically resists conducting an effective investigation. Dina's murder cannot be evaluated merely as a legal case because the road to the murder is paved with power relations produced by racism and patriarchy."

The court postponed the trial to August 5th and decided to continue the detention of the sole defendant, Dursun A. One witness was also ordered to be forcibly brought to the court.

What happened?

The lifeless body of Gabonese university student Jeannah Danys Dinabongho Ibouanga (17) was found on March 26, 2023, by the Filyos River in Karabük. While the police considered the possibility that Ibouanga was taken to a forested area by a car, a total of eight individuals, three of whom were foreign nationals, were detained.

On the night she disappeared, Dina had said she would go downstairs to her relative's apartment to get a charger while watching a movie at her friend's house.

However, footage from a security camera captured Dina running barefoot in the street for an unknown reason. While seven individuals were released from custody during the investigation, suspect Dursun A. was detained for the fourth timeand subsequently arrested on April 10, 2023. (EMK/VK)