In Zonguldak, on November 10, 2023, passersby noticed a burnt body in the nearby forest on Kırat Mahallesi Koca Osman Street. Arriving teams determined that the body had been burned by pouring gasoline on it and it was taken to the morgue of Atatürk State Hospital for an autopsy.
The body was identified as that of Vezir Mohammad Nourtani, a 50-year-old Afghan national working in an illegally operated mine. The autopsy revealed that Nourtani had died on November 9 and his family had reported him missing on the morning of November 10. Nourtani’s body was buried on November 11.
Illegal Mine and Arrests
The owners of the illegal mine where Nourtani worked, Hakan Körnöş, Enver Gideroğlu and Körnöş’s cousin Ahmet Aydın were arrested. Quarry employees S.K. and E.D. and coal trader A.Ç. were released on judicial control conditions. The illegal mine was closed by the gendarmerie four days before the incident, but was reopened by its owners. After the incident, the mine was destroyed and closed.
In the indictment, it was stated that Nourtani was trapped between wagons in the illegal quarry and suffered a work accident, and that the owners of the quarry acted out of fear that ‘the quarry would be closed if the incident was revealed’. In the indictment stating that Nourtani was burned while lifeless, a lawsuit was filed against 6 suspects with the demand for life imprisonment on the charge of ‘intentional killing in complicity’. The trial process is ongoing.
Family Status and Protection Application
The ‘International temporary protection application’ made by Nourtani’s 3 children and his wife Qamer Gül Meliki was rejected by Zonguldak Administrative Court. The family’s lawyer Kerim Bahadır Şeker stated that the court rejected the application because it did not find the grounds sufficient. The family appealed to Ankara Regional Administrative Court through their lawyers. The family cannot benefit from basic rights such as health and education and faces the risk of deportation.
Ali Rıza, who lost his hearing aid while fleeing Afghanistan, is not receiving any treatment. Mother Meliki and son Seyyed Mohammad Nourtani, who are also suffering from psychological problems, asked the United Nations for help. After phone calls to the UN, antidepressant medication was sent to the family by cargo. Aside from their health problems, the family cannot work because they do not have work permits, and they live on food from the Social Assistance Foundation’s soup kitchen and the help of philanthropists.
Qamer Gül Meliki demands the state to open their ID cards and activate their children’s insurance. Since they do not have ID cards, the children cannot go to school and cannot benefit from health services. Meliki also lives in great anxiety and fear due to what has been done to her husband and stated that she is constantly worried about the safety of her children.
Kidney Allegation and Investigation
An important detail about the case is the question of what happened to Nourtani’s left kidney. Based on the testimony of his client Meliki, lawyer Şeker stated that he had heard that Nourtani was offered 20 thousand dollars for his kidney. The Forensic Medicine Specialized Board’s report stated that Nourtani’s stomach, left kidney, pancreas and intestines could not be identified due to severe burns. This raised the suspicion of organ trafficking.
Following the tragic death of Wazir Mohammad Nourtani, his family is struggling to survive in Turkey under difficult conditions. While the legal process continues, the family is trying to survive without the right to health and education. The family’s tragedy once again highlights the dangers of illegal mines and the difficulties faced by migrants.
