HDP to keep a justice watch for jailed, dismissed MP Gergerlioğlu

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While the Constitutional Court gave a ruling of right violation for Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, the dismissed and jailed Kocaeli MP of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), the politician has not yet been released.

In response to this, the HDP has announced that it will start keeping a justice watch for the politician in front of the prison where he is held.

The Constitutional Court finalized the individual application of Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) dismissed Kocaeli MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, who was stripped of his MP status and arrested afterwards.

Giving its ruling, the Constitutional Court has concluded that Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu's "right to be elected and to engage in political activities" and "the right to personal liberty and security" have been violated.

CLICK - Constitutional Court: Gergerlioğlu's rights violated

Making a statement about the justice watch to begin in front of the Sincan Prison in the capital city of Ankara at 11 am local time in Turkey today (July 5), the HDP briefly said the following yesterday:

For our MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, who is held captive despite the Constitutional Court ruling, we will be on Justice Watch in front of the Sincan Prison at 11 am. We will continue struggling against the putschists who do not enforce the Constitutional Court and ECtHR rulings.

Gergerlioğlu's trial and expulsion from the parliament

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Kocaeli MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu was sentenced to 2 years, 6 months in prison on the charge of "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" on February 21, 2018, because of a social media post from the year 2016. The conviction was upheld by the 16th Penal Chamber of the Court of Cassation on February 19, 2021.

Speaking shortly after this ruling was handed down, Gergerlioğlu said that the verdict was "political", adding, "Strip searches, abductions, tortures... Some people got disturbed by us talking about all these."

He also made an application to the Constitutional Court. However, the final ruling of the court was read out at the Plenary Session of the Parliament on March 17, 2021, and he was stripped of his MP duty. He refused to leave the parliament in protest of the decision, starting a "justice watch."

During his protest, he was detained at the parliament as part of a new investigation on March 21 and released on the same day.

Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu was detained from his house on April 2, 2021; he was arrested and sent to prison shortly afterwards.

The Constitutional Court rejected an application against the revocation of his parliamentary mandate on March 31.

The Constitutional Court examined the individual application of Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) dismissed Kocaeli MP Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, who was stripped of his MP status and arrested afterwards.

Giving its ruling, the Constitutional Court has concluded that Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu's "right to be elected and to engage in political activities" and "the right to personal liberty and security" have been violated. (AÖ/SD)