Demirtaş to Appear Before Judge for the First Time

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Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş will appear before judge tomorrow (January 12) for the first time as part of the trial in which he is tried on charge of “insulting president”.

Bakırköy 38th Criminal Court of First Instance in İstanbul ruled Demirtaş to attend the hearing in person.

Demirtaş is tried for the following statements he issued on December 24, 2015 on his return from his visit to Russia:

“In fact, the people in Turkey don’t want war with Russia or any country. This is a tension that came into existence because of AKP (Justice and Development Party) government’s wrong decision. President and Prime Minister had stated that it was a mistake before we did. They cannot cover up their own mistakes with rhetoric such as ‘They betrayed the country, they betrayed the nation’. They are trying to cover up their own mistakes through us.  I am calling on Mr. Prime Minister Davutoğlu; do not say things that you will eat in the future”.

The cases brought following this statement on charges of “insulting Prime Minister” and “inciting people to enmity and hostility” dropped. Another case brought following the same statement was “insulting president”.

Demirtaş was sentenced to pay fine of 15 thousand liras (3,300 Euros) to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan due to his statements he made in Mersin on February 27, 2016.

Demirtaş has been imprisoned in Edirne Type F Prison since November 4, 2016. In addition to Demirtaş, nine HDP MPs including Figen Yüksekdağ who was relieved of her MP duties and Nursel Aydoğan are behind bars as well. (AS/TK)