Investigation Against HDP Co-Chair Temelli

A Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation against HDP Co-Chair Sezai Temelli on the charges of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" and "insulting the Turkish nation" because of a speech he made recently.

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Investigation Against HDP Co-Chair Temelli

Photo: HDP

Click to read the article in Turkish

An investigation has been launched against Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Sezai Temelli on the charges of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" and "insulting the Turkish nation, the Republic of Turkey, and the state institutions and organs."

The Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in Van province launched the investigation into the speech Temelli made on December 19, 2018 in an event called "Meeting With People."

Ruling for "lack of jurisdiction" upon the Statutory Decree No 694 The Van Chief Public Prosecutor's Office sent the case file to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

"I am calling upon all the judges: Be courageous"

I his speech in Van, Temelli said the following:

"Today, the justice is no more in this country. The judges of this country even tried to put their buttons up before the President (Recep Tayyip Erdoğan). They are under tutelage to such a degree that they are looking for buttons on their robes. But we saw worse than that. They put AKP (the ruling Justice and Development Party) badges on their collars. They made rulings as if they are the AKP's district organizations.

"I am calling upon all the judges: Be courageous, be at the service of the people, not the government. Even a tiny step you will take will make a big contribution regarding justice.

"But if you don't take this step, you will be an accomplice to this crime. End this injustice. Meet the necessities of the independent and objective judiciary. What you do is malignant to this country."

15 former HDP MPs behind bars

According to the "Judiciary Toll" report by the HDP, 15 former MPs of the party are currently behind bars:

MPs from the 26th term of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM): Figen Yüksekdağ, Selahattin Demirtaş, İdris Baluken, Çağlar Demirel, Selma Irmak, Gülser Yıldırım, Burcu Çelik Özkan, Ferhat Encü, Abdullah Zeydan, Sırrı Süreyya Önder

25th term: Edibe Şahin, Şafak Özhanlı

24th term: DBP Co-Chair Sebahat Tuncel, Halil Aksoy

23th term: Aysel Tuğluk

Former Co-Chairs of the party Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, as well as former MPs İdris Baluken, Abdullah Zeydan, Selma Irmak and Ferhat Encü were convicted and their sentences were upheld.

CLICK - HDP Announces the 'Judiciary Toll'

(AS/VK)

hdp sezai temelli Sezaî Temellî