Unity for Democracy: We stand with Canan Kaftancıoğlu

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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The Unity for Democracy (DİB) has released a written statement in solidarity and support for main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) İstanbul Chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu, whose prison sentence of 9 year, 8 months was upheld by the court of appeal yesterday (June 23).

"We will give up neither cherishing hope nor waging our struggle," the DİB has said in its statement and briefly stated the following:

'Anti-democratic practices on the increase'

"Still unable to forget the pain of İstanbul elections, a hope for social opposition and democracy forces, the government has been stepping up its unlawful and anti-democratic practices as it loses its legitimacy.

"The prison sentence of 9 years, 8 months and 20 days given to CHP İstanbul Provincial Chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu over her tweets from previous years has been upheld by the court of appeal.

"Canan Kaftancıoğlu was previously convicted of publicly degrading the State of the Republic of Turkey, insulting a public official due to his or her duty, insulting the President, publicly inciting the public to enmity and hatred and propagandizing for a terrorist organization.

"No matter what they do, it is to no avail'

"The one-man rule is trying to scare and intimidate the society, it is trying to drown even the tiniest democratic objection. But it cannot silence the social objection. After the HDP's march for democracy, now the bar association chairs are marching. There are never-ending struggles across the country against the usurpation of rights and plunder of nature.

"We, as the Unity for Democracy, declare that we stand with CHP İstanbul Provincial Chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu. Pressure is increasing our determination of struggle together with democracy forces.

"No matter what they do, it is to no avail: They can destroy neither our hope nor our determination to struggle."

What happened?

CHP İstanbul Chair Canan Kaftancıoğlu was sentenced to 9 years, 8 months in prison over her social media posts from seven years ago.

Having her final hearing at the İstanbul 37th Heavy Penal Court in September 2019, she was given a prison sentence for "publicly degrading the state of the Republic of Turkey," "insulting a public official because of his/her duty," "insulting the president," "inciting people to animosity and hatred," and "propagandizing for a terrorist organization."

Neither the announcement of the verdict nor the prison sentence of Kaftancıoğlu was deferred by the local court.

İstanbul Regional Court of Justice, the court of appeal, upheld this prison sentence yesterday (June 23). Canan Kaftancıoğlu has the right to appeal against the verdict at the Court of Cassation. (EMK/SD)