Başak Demirtaş and her doctor sentenced to prison

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Başak Demirtaş, the spouse of jailed former Co-Chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Selahattin Demirtaş, had been on trial since March 3, 2018 on the grounds of "receiving a medical report contrary to facts." The court gave its ruling yesterday (November 11).

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), the doctor who issued Başak Demirtaş's medical report (R.B.) and Başak Demirtaş herself were sentenced to 2 years, 6 months each at the final hearing of the case heard by the Diyarbakır 6th High Criminal Court.

Releasing a statement about the ruling, Başak Demirtaş's lawyers have stated that Başak Demirtaş, having serious health problems in the related time period, was examined and treated at the hospital on November 4, 12, 16, 23, 25, 28 and 30 and December 7 and 9, 2015 on the grounds of losing her unborn baby and disorders pertaining to this incident and she underwent surgical operations on two of the aforementioned days.

According to the statement of the lawyers, after it was understood that the treatment would take long, Demirtaş voluntarily took an unpaid leave in the second half of the 2015-2016 school year so that another teacher could be assigned to her place and students would not be aggrieved.

The lawyers shared the following information:

'The report was misdated'

"Başak Demirtaş, amid her ongoing health problems, underwent a medical examination at the Diyarbakır Kayapınar Family Health Center on December 11, 2015 and a medical report foreseeing five days of leave was issued in her name. However, the date of issue was erroneously written as December 14, 2015 in the copy of the medical report which was given to her and then submitted by her to the school administration.

"In order to reveal this mistake, examining the polyclinic record book of the Family Health Center is enough. As a matter of fact, in a copy of the polyclinic record book in the court file, it is certain that Başak Demirtaş was examined and received the report on December 11, 2015.

'Examining the record book would be enough'

"The court board ruled that the original version of the polyclinic record book should be submitted to the court for examination so that this open reality could be confirmed; however, the original version of the polyclinic record book was not sent to the court. On top of this, the court handed down its ruling without seeing the original record book where the true date is written.

"While the truth is apparent, sentencing Başak Demirtaş as a result of such a trial is an openly unlawful and grossly unfair. That the sentence is given in a period when Başak Demirtaş comes up and is targeted is not a coincidence; it is the product of a mentality of collective punishment.

"In spite of this situation, we will keep on waging our legal struggle. We still believe that the ruling will be overturned by the Regional Court of Justice [appeals court] and justice will be served." (RT/SD)