Arrest of Dismissed Diyarbakır Co-Mayor Selçuk Mızraklı to Continue

* Photo: Twitter account of Adnan Selçuk Mızraklı

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Replaced with a state-appointed trustee by the Ministry of Interior on August 19 and arrested since October 22, dismissed Diyarbakır Metropolitan Co-Mayor Adnan Selçuk Mızraklı had his first hearing at the Diyarbakır 9th Heavy Penal Court today (December 25).

The court has ruled that the arrest of Mızraklı shall continue. The next hearing of the case will be held on February 10, 2020.

CLICK - Attorney of Mızraklı: His Political Activities Depicted as Crime

Arrested on charge of "being a member of a terrorist organization" based on the statements of a witness named H.B.A., Adnan Selçuk Mızraklı has been facing 7.5 years to 15 years in prison.

Currently held in Kayseri Bünyan Prison, Mızraklı attended his first hearing from Kayseri via Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBİS). His attorneys Diyarbakır Bar Association Chair Cihan Aydın, Mehmet Emin Aktar and Zülal Erdoğan were present at court in the first hearing.

CLICK - Attorney of Selçuk Mızraklı: Lie of the Witness Revealed

After the attorneys presented their statements of defense, the court board has ruled that the arrest of Adnan Selçuk Mızraklı shall continue, considering the current situation of evidence.

Today's hearing was also followed by Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-Chair Saliha Aydeniz, Democratic Society Congress (DTK) Co-Chair Berdan Öztürk, Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) MPs, HDP Diyarbakır Provincial Organization, main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Diyarbakır Provincial Organization Chair Mehmet Sayın, Kurdistan Communist Party (KKP) Chair Sinan Çiftyürek, Labor Party Central Executive Committee member Yusuf Karataş, Mardin Bar Association Chair lawyer İsmail Elik and representatives from civil society organizations.

What happened?

Adnan Selçuk Mızraklı was taken into custody on October 21 as part of an investigation conducted by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. He was arrested one day later on charges of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" and "membership of a terrorist organization."

The indictment issued by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office was accepted by the Diyarbakır 11th Heavy Penal Court on November 11. Mızraklı has been facing 7.5 to 15 years in prison on the offenses charged.

His indictment refers to the accounts of witness H.B.A., based on which Mızraklı was arrested. H.B.A. alleged that a "Hogır" code named Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) member was taken to a private hospital in Diyarbakır after being wounded, he was operated by Mızraklı and discharged from hospital without being turned over to security forces. However, according to Social Security Institution (SGK) records, H.B.A. was not working at the hospital at the time when Mızraklı allegedly did the surgery.

Arrested for 1 months in 2018 as part of an investigation into the DTK, Adnan Selçuk Mızraklı faced one lawsuit and eight investigations on charges of "establishing and leading an armed terrorist organization, being a member of an armed terrorist organization, propagandizing for a terrorist organization and praising the crime and the criminal."

Receiving 490,507 votes (62.93 percent) in the last local elections on March 31, 2019, Mızraklı was elected the Metropolitan Co-Mayor of Diyarbakır. (RT/SD)