Verdict of Release Issued for HDP Hakkari MP Leyla Güven Reversed

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The Diyarbakır 9th Heavy Penal Court gave its ruling regarding the request of release submitted for the Co-Chair of the Democratic Society Congress (DTK) Leyla Güven, who was elected the Hakkari MP of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) at the 27th term parliamentary elections on June 24. The court issued a verdict of release for Güven earlier today (June 29).

However, the Prosecutor's Office has appealed to a higher court and objected to the verdict of release issued for Güven. Evaluating the objection, the 10th Heavy Penal Court has reversed the verdict of release.

As reported by Artı Gerçek news website, the attorney of Güven, Cemile Turhallı has denounced the reversal of the verdict of release by stating, "It is not possible for them to read a 5-folder-long case file in ten minutes. I do not think that the court has seen the file."

The first hearing of the trial of Leyla Güven, who faces up to 31.5 years in prison and was arrested pending trial, was held on May 16, 2018. The court board ruled that the pre-trial detention of Güven shall continue and adjourned her next hearing to July 11, 2018.

Güven faces up to 31.5 years in prison

Leyla Güven was detained on January 22 due to her social media posts and statements about Afrin operation, and arrested on January 31.

Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has filed lawsuits over 14 statements for the press, funeral and meeting she attended from 2016-2018.

Güven faces from 17.5 to 31.5 years in prison on charges of "founding and managing an armed organization", "propagandizing for an illegal organization", "inciting people to attend unlawful rallies and demonstrations", "being a member of an illegal organization".

About Leyla Güven

Born in 1968 and lived in Germany for a long time, Güven worked for the Women's Organization of the People's Democracy Party (HADEP) in 1994.

In 2004, she was elected the Mayor of Küçük Dikili in Adana; in 2009, she was elected the Mayor of Viranşehir in Urfa.

As part of the operation launched against the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), she was arrested in December 2009. After being kept in custodyarrested for five years, she was released in 2014. At the main KCK trial, she was sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in prison.

She was the Urfa MP candidate of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) at the parliamentary elections in 2015. (HK/SD)