Arrested Politician Zeydan Given Disciplinary Punishment Due to Hunger Strike

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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) 26th Term Hakkari MP Abdullah Zeydan has been given a disciplinary punishment by the prison administration on the ground that "he has been on a hunger strike."

Detained on November 4, 2016 and being held in Edirne Type F Prison together with HDP former Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş, Zeydan previously announced that he would go on a 10-day hunger strike in solidarity with Democratic Society Congress (DTK) Co-Chair and HDP Hakkari MP Leyla Güven, who has also been on an indefinite and irreversible hunger strike.

After Zeydan submitted a petition to the prison administration and informed them about his decision of hunger strike, the Edirne Type F Prison Directorate held a meeting on January 11 and decided to give a disciplinary punishment to the arrested politician. Accordingly, Zeydan will be banned from partaking in some activities in prison for a month.

While the justification of the punishment has not been announced, the related decision of the prison administration has been taken in reference to the Article 40/2-g of the Law no. 5275 on the Execution of Sentences and Security Measures. In this article, "going on a hunger strike" is listed among the "acts requiring the punishment of ban from some activities."

"A legitimate and rightful demand"

In his written statement of defense submitted to the prison administration, Abdullah Zeydan said,

"The indefinite and irreversible hunger strike started by our Hakkari MP aimed at the removal of isolation of [Abdullah] Öcalan is a legitimate and rightful demand intended for the enactment of justice and law.

"According to our Constitution, our country is a state of law. As per our laws, everyone has the right to meet their families and attorneys on the phone or in open-closed meetings even when they are convicted. Öcalan is also a convict and has the legal right to benefit from these rights. However, he cannot use his Constitutional and legal rights for almost three years."

Emphasizing that "the removal of isolation on Öcalan would contribute to peace and fraternity in the country," Zeydan stated that he also started a 10-day hunger strike in solidarity with Güven.

However, the prison administration has not taken the statement of defense submitted by Zeydan into consideration and given him a disciplinary punishment. Zeydan has the right to appeal to the Prosecutor's Office of Execution and then to the Heavy Penal Court. Zeydan's attorney Murat Arksak has announced that they will appeal against the decision.

What happened?

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Hakkari MP and Democratic Society Congress (DTK) Co-Chair Leyla Güven, who was detained due to her statements about the Afrin operation on January 22, 2018 and arrested on January 31, announced on November 7 that she has gone on an indefinite and irreversible hunger strike, demanding that the isolation of Kurdistan Workers Party's (PKK) imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan be lifted.

Mehmet Öcalan met with his brother Abdullah Öcalan on January 12, 2019 after 28 months. The hunger strike of Güven has still been continuing. (AS/SD)