Former HDP Co-Chair Figen Yüksekdağ acquitted of ‘insulting President’

* Photo: "Freedom for Yüksekdağ" Twitter account

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Jailed politician Figen Yüksekdağ appeared before the judge in the lawsuit filed against her on charge of "insulting the President."

In his final hearing in Ankara today (February 11), former Co-Chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Yüksekdağ briefly said, "We are not hopeful about these political power holders. Women have hope, peoples have hope. Hope belongs to the ones trying to exist in this life with their labor, honor and dignity. We will continue keeping this hope alive."

Today's hearing was also attended by HDP MPs Filiz Kerestecioğlu, Sevinç Coşkun, Züleyha Gülüm and Nuran İmir.

Handing down its judgement, the Ankara 10th Heavy Penal Court has ruled that Figen Yüksekdağ shall be acquitted of the offense charged.

Why was she on trial?

Figen Yüksekdağ was put on trial over a written statement that she and Selahattin Demirtaş released as the then HDP Co-Chairs after journalists Can Dündar and Erdem Gül from Cumhuriyet newspaper were arrested in the National Intelligence Organization (MİT) trucks case.

Condemning their arrest "in the strongest terms possible," the Co-Chairs said, "This step has once again enabled some truths in Turkey to be seen. Freedom of thought and expression, people's right to obtain information and press freedom are trampled upon in this country everyday."

Noting that "the mechanism of justice was acting in the grip of the government and Palace," they said, "President Erdoğan, to make them pay the price for the news, imposed this arrest on the journalists."

"Those who have been giving material and moral support, providing logistic support, giving arms and monetary aid to the al-Qaeda-derived organizations like al-Nusra, ISIS and Ahrar al-Sham for years are making efforts to ban the talks about these issues," they said.

They also noted that "these efforts would not prevent them from being called to account before independent and impartial law."

What happened?

Arrested since November 4, 2016, former HDP Co-Chair Figen Yüksekdağ has been standing trial on charges of "leading an organization", "propagandizing for a terrorist organization", "violating the law on meetings and demonstrations", "inciting the public to enmity and hatred", "provoking to commit crime" and "degrading the Turkish nation, the state of the Republic of Turkey and the institutions and bodies of the state."

The file of the case brought against Yüksekdağ consists of 7 different summaries of proceedings. The 92-page indictment demands that Yüksekdağ be sentenced to 30 years to 83 years in prison.

Her activities within the Democratic Society Congress (DTK) and some other political activities are brought against the politician as criminal evidence. (AS/SD)