Arrested Unionist to Face Up to 15 Years in Prison for ‘Attending a Meeting’

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His membership of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Youth Assembly, the protest demonstrations to be held by the Youth Assembly, the social media messages of the Youth Assembly...

According to an indictment issued against him based on above "evidence," arrested unionist Nihat Demir will face up to 15 years in prison.

29-year-old Demir was taken into custody on November 8, 2019 and arrested on November 15. He has been behind bars since then.

As criminal evidence against Nihat Demir, the 165-page indictment states that he took an active part in the organization of the HDP Youth Assembly congress, which was legally held.

Demir is the Secretary General of the Progressive Construction Workers Union (Dev Yapı-İş) affiliated with the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK). He previously took part in several union activities, especially the resistance of 3rd İstanbul Airport workers.

Evidence: 'He has a note paper in his hand'

According to a finding cited in the police report against Nihat Demir, he was holding a note paper in his hand when he came to the congress in Turkey's southeastern province of Diyarbakır. The above picture has been added to the police report and to the indictment as evidence.

'We followed him, he attended the congress'

While there is no personal evidence against the defendants of the case, their election to the membership of HDP Youth Assembly is referred to as a crime.

The indictment first indicates that "Youth Executive Board and Youth Assembly members were elected in the 2nd Ordinary congress of the HDP Youth Assemblies in the district of Bağlar in Diyarbakır on November 25, 2018 and the following members were elected..." Then, the indictment moves on to charge offenses against the elected members.

Commenting further on the function of the Youth Assembly, the indictment says that "its function is to stop the current collapse of the terrorist organization and to provide its supporting young audience with special motivation to give a positive acceleration ... to mobilize the young audience and to form/extend its base motivation within this context..."

Sharing the findings of physical surveillance and wiretapping of Nihat Demir, the indictment indicates that "only information as to his attendance to the congress and participation in its organization could be obtained."

Based on the police reports against Nihat Demir, the indictment also refers to the "information" that he attended meetings about the HDP Youth Assemblies in İstanbul and Diyarbakır in 2018. (AS/SD)