Rights Organization Speaks Out Against Detentions and Arrests of Pro-Kurdish Politicians

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The Istanbul Branch of the Human Rights Association (İHD) has called for an end to arrests and detentions of Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) and Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) members.

Recalling that the detentions had begun before HDP's 3rd Ordinary Session and continued thereafter, most recently with the detention of former HDP Co-Chair Serpil Kemalbay and the arrests of HDK Co-Spokesperson Prof. Dr. Onur Hamzaoğlu and Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) General Vice President Fadime Çelebi, İHD's Istanbul Branch declared the following in their written statement:

"The extent of oppression"

"That the 31 people, including HDP Party Assembly member Celalettin Can, HDP Istanbul Co-Spokesperson Şamil Altan and provincial administrators, arrested in Istanbul on February 7, though this number is said to have reached 200 politicians if we count those from other provinces, are still held in custody, and that their detention periods are prolonged without legal justification shows the extent of oppression at stake.

"It is known that such oppression of democratic politics, rights, and freedoms serves to rule out democratic and peaceful approaches to the resolution of social issues, instead inciting confrontational ones.

"We regard the detention and arrest practices against HDP and HDK constituents as assaults against freedom of thought and expression, right to peace, right to practice politics, and right to form organizations, as well as an attempt to curtail democratic politics, and demand an immediate end to these assaults and immediate release of those under arrest and in custody." (EKN/PU)