Stripped of MP Status, HDP's Güven and Farisoğulları, CHP's Berberoğlu Arrested

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Shortly after they were stripped of MP status at the Parliament yesterday (June 4), warrants were issued against main opposition Republican People's Party's (CHP) Enis Berberoğlu and Peoples' Democratic Party's (CHP) Leyla Güven and Musa Farisoğulları.

While Farisoğulları and Güven were detained in Turkey's Kurdish-majority Diyarbakır province, Berberoğlu was taken into custody in İstanbul.

Leyla Güven has been sent to Diyarbakır Women's Closed Prison and Musa Farisoğulları to Diyarbakır Type D Closed Prison. After the related legal formalities were completed in İstanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan, Berberoğlu has been sent to Maltepe Prison in İstanbul.

Farisoğulları was on his way to Ankara

* Photo: Mezopotamya Agency (MA)

"While I was my way from Diyarbakır to our Central Office in Ankara, I have just been detained," Farisoğulları said on Twitter.

Farisoğulları was first taken to the Pirinçlik police station on Diyarbakır - Urfa highway, then to the courthouse following a routine medical check at the hospital. After the related formalities were completed at the prosecutor's office, he has been arrested by the judgeship on duty. Farisoğulları has been sent to the Diyarbakır Type D Closed Prison.

Güven detained from her home in Diyarbakır

* Photo: MA

Leyla Güven was taken into custody from her home in Diyarbakır. "I am being detained," she wrote on Twitter at around 11 p.m. Güven was taken to the courthouse following a health check. Arrested by the judgeship on duty, she has been sent to Diyarbakır Women's Closed Prison.

Berberoğlu detained from his home in Bakırköy

* Photo: Twitter

The Anti-Terror teams of İstanbul Security Directorate detained Enis Berberoğlu from his house in Bakırköy district of İstanbul.

Following the formalities at the security directorate, he was referred to İstanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan. He was referred from the prosecutor's office to the judgeship on duty at around 1.30 a.m. today (June 5). Arrested by the judgeship, Berberoğlu has been sent to Maltepe Prison.

Holding a press statement at the Parliament shortly after he was stripped of MP status yesterday, Enis Berberoğlu said, "I will turn myself in to the prison in the upcoming days to serve my remaining 18-month prison sentence. Since the day when I was released, I have been calling this as a respite; so, it is not a surprise for me, not a shock, either."

What happened?

CHP İstanbul MP Enis Berberoğlu and HDP Hakkari and Diyarbakır MPs Leyla Güven and Musa Farisoğulları were stripped of their MP status on June 4 on the ground that there were finalized court rulings against them.

Put on trial with Can Dündar, the former Editor-in-Chief of daily Cumhuriyet, for giving him the footage of National Intelligence Organization (MİT) trucks allegedly carrying weapons to Syria, Enis Berberoğlu has been sentenced to 5 years, 10 months for "disclosing information that needs to be kept confidential for the security of the state or domestic or international interests for purposes of political and military espionage."

While Diyarbakır 2nd Heavy Penal Court has sentenced Musa Farisoğulları to 9 years in prison for "membership of an armed terrorist organization", Leyla Güven has also been sentenced to 6 years, 3 months in prison on the same charge and by the same court.

The prison sentences of Berberoğlu, Farisoğulları and Güven have been upheld by the 16th Penal Chamber of the Court of Cassation. (EKN/SD)