14 people arrested in Diyarbakır province

* Photo: MA

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As part of an investigation carried out by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, 19 people were detained in house raids in five provinces on November 8-9. Giving their statements, they were referred to the Diyarbakır Courthouse in the morning yesterday (November 15).

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), the prosecutor's office of the Kurdish-majority province referred all 19 people, including politicians, union executives and a Peace Mother to the court, requesting their arrest on charge of "being members of a [terrorist / illegal] organization."

The court has arrested the following 14 people:

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Diyarbakır Provincial Organization executive Mehmet Asana, HDP Diyarbakır Bağlar District Co-Chair Nasır Yentar and District Executive Mehmet Hüseyin Baran, HDP Diyarbakır Bismil District Co-Chair Mehmet Şakir Demir, HDP Local Governments Board member Ömer Filitoğlu, Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Diyarbakır Provincial Organization executives Yasemin Akengin, Mehmet Ali Alkan, Mehmet Süslü and Abdullah Cengiz, Kurdistan Socialist Party (KSP) Vice Chair Bayram Bozyel, Pir Sultan Abdal Association (PSAKD) Central Office executive Erkan Keskin, Health and Social Service Laborers' Union (SES) Diyarbakır Branch executive Gülhan Tekin, Education and Science Laborers' Union (Eğitim-Sen) Central Office Inspection Board member Arzu Koç and Peace Mothers Assembly member Nezife Yiğit.

The following people have been released by the court: Chamber of Mechanical Engineers (MMP) Diyarbakır Branch Executive Board member Arin Zümrüt, All Municipality and Local Government Laborers' Union (TÜM-BEL-SEN) Diyarbakır Branch Co-Chair A. Baki Öndeş, Abdulkadir Ekinci, HDP Diyarbakır Provincial Organization executives Şeyhmus Yavuz and Association of Assistance for Families of Arrestees and Convicts (TUAY-DER) executive Şehrat Uyanık.

While "judicial control" measures have been imposed on Şeyhmus Yavuz, Şehrat Uyanık has been released to house arrest.

Commemorations, statements cited as evidence

Taken into custody based on anonymous witness statements, 19 people were charged with "membership of the organization" on the grounds of the press statements about the appointment of trustees, violence against women and detained Eğitim-Sen members that they attended and their attendance to the commemoration ceremonies for assassinated Kurdish journalist-writer Musa Anter (Apê Musa) and Halabja massacre. (KÖ/SD)