HDP files complaint against interior minister over detention of MP

Süleyman Soylu (Photo: AA/File)

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The Law Commission of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) has filed a criminal complaint regarding the detention of MP Semra Güzel.

The complaint concerns a video showing police officers taking Güzel to the courthouse and the interior minister's tweet about the detention.

The video, apparently filmed by the police, shows the officers who escort Güzel press her head down.

The HDP demands an investigation into the officers, the media outlets that released the footage, and Minister Süleyman Soylu.

The investigation should be conducted for "torture," "insult," "openly provoking to commit a crime," "provoking the people into hatred and hostility," "violation of the confidentiality of the investigation," and "influencing a fair trial," the party requested.

Güzel, who was previously stripped of her legislative immunity, was detained on September 2 in İstanbul.

Minister Soylu announced the detention on Twitter, saying, "Semra Güzel of the HDPKK has been busted," merging the HDP with the abbreviation of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Güzel was heading to the border province of Edirne with a human smuggler when the police caught them, according to the minister.

Soylu's words "terrorized Semra Güzel and the party she is a member of," the HDP said in its petition. "It is clear that the suspect's purpose is to criminalize and target the party and Güzel."

The party alleged that Soylu's actions constituted the offense of "provoking the people into hatred and hostility."

"As a matter of fact, there have been thousands of attacks on People's Democratic Party members, employees, executives and voters ... and most of the complaints made by us against them have been inconclusive.

"Most of the crimes subject to our complaints are harassment, assault, insult, ill-treatment, and torture by law enforcement personnel."

What happened?

On January 8, Güzel's photos with Volkan Bora, a PKK member who was killed in 2017, were published by pro-government media outlets.

On January 10, the Ministry of Justice sent a summary of proceedings against the MP to the Presidency, which sent it to the parliament on January 12.

Discussions about lifting Güzel's immunity began on January 20. The Preparatory Commission submitted its opinion for the lift of immunity to the Joint Commission on February 8.

The Joint Commission convened on February 17. Mehmet Rüştü Tiryaki, a HDP deputy and a commission member, defended Güzel at the session.

The commission accepted the decision for the lift of Güzel's immunity with the votes of the members of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), its ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), and its ally İYİ (Good) Party.

The General Assembly of the Parliament on March 1 stripped legislative immunity from Güzel with 313 "yes" and 52 "no" votes.

The summaries of proceedings were also submitted to the HDP closure case as additional evidence. (RT/VK)