Letters of Selahattin Demirtaş Censored, Says His Wife Başak Demirtaş

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Başak Demirtaş, the wife of Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) former Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş, has announced that his letters from Edirne Prison have been censored. "What is next?," she has asked on Twitter.

CLICK - ECtHR: Selahattin Demirtaş Should Be Released

'What is next?'

Sharing the letters of Selahattin Demirtaş on her social media account, Başak Demirtaş has addressed the following tweet to the Ministry of Justice and Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gül:

"Face-to-face visits have been suspended. No opportunities have been provided for video chat. And, now, censorship... What is next?"

Yüz yüze görüş kaldırıldı. Görüntülü görüşme imkanı sağlanmadı. Şimdi de sansür. Sırada ne var? @adalet_bakanlik @abdulhamitgul pic.twitter.com/G5NP1Bssh0
— Başak Demirtaş (@Basak__Demirtas) June 3, 2020

On the pictures of letters shared by Başak Demirtaş, the words "2020/208" Disciplinary Board can be read.

'Outbreak will hopefully end before ruining people'

In the letters that could escape the prison personnel's censorship, Selahattin Demirtaş has said, "You look good in the pictures, but they were from 10 days ago. I hope that you are all well. We are fine, too. All the usuals..."

"For now, it is time for health. If this outbreak ends before ruining people, everyone will heave a deep sigh of relief," he has also said.

Trial of Selahattin Demirtaş

Selahattin Demirtaş was detained on November 4, 2016. He was arrested and sent to Silivri Prison in İstanbul on the same day. He is still behind bars in Silivri.

All his investigations, except for one, have been combined in a single file. The lawsuit filed at the Ankara 19th Heavy Penal Court has still not been concluded. As his request for release as part of this suit was rejected, his attorneys appealed to the Constitutional Court.

In their application to the Constitutional Court on May 29, 2018, the attorneys requested that his application be reviewed with priority. However, the Court has not yet responded to the application. On June 26, 2018, his case was taken to the ECtHR.

Shortly after this appeal to the ECtHR, the court announced its judgment in his second case. Tried in the case together with former HDP MP Sırrı Süreyya Önder, Selahattin Demirtaş has been sentenced to 4 years, 8 months in prison on the charge of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" by the İstanbul 26th Heavy Penal Court.

One month later, on October 25, 2018, his verdict of conviction reached the 2nd Penal Chamber of İstanbul Regional Court of Justice, the court of appeal.

On November 17, 2018, the ECtHR announced that it would announce its judgment as to his application on November 20. The court of appeal swiftly reviewed the verdict of conviction of Demirtaş and started discussing it on November 19.

On November 20, 2018, the ECtHR concluded that Demirtaş was "arrested with political motivations" and ruled for his release.

The Ankara 19th Heavy Penal Court rejected his request for release on November 30 ,2018, indicating that "his arrest was a moderate measure".

On December 4, 2018, the 2nd Penal Chamber of İstanbul Regional Court of Justice upheld his verdict of conviction. With this verdict, Demirtaş became an arrested convict.

The attorneys of Demirtaş appealed again to the ECtHR on February 19, 2019, and requested that the issues not discussed, found inadmissible and not regarded as violation right be reviewed again.

The government also appealed against the ECtHR verdict on Demirtaş. In its petition, the government also requested that the ECtHR review its ruling of right violation again. That being the case, the case of Demirtaş has been taken to the ECtHR Grand Chamber, which announced that it would discuss the application on September 18, 2019.

In his hearing at the Ankara 19th Heavy Penal Court on September 2, the court board has ruled that Demirtaş shall be released.

As his request for release has been rejected, his attorneys lodged a request of "deduction", demanding that the period that he has already served in prison be deducted from his prison term so that he could be released on probation. This request has not been answered yet.

(EMK/SD)