Stripped of legislative immunity, HDP deputy Semra Güzel arrested

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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Diyarbakır MP Semra Güzel was remanded in custody late Saturday (September 3).

Stripped of her legislative immunity in January, Güzel was detained in İstanbul on Friday.

Brought to the İstanbul Courthouse, she gave a statement to the Ankara Chief Prosecutor's Office via video conference. The prosecutor referred the MP to the Ankara Penal judgeship of Peace, demanding her arrest.

The prosecutor asked her about the allegations that Leyla Güven, a former HDP deputy, stayed at her home after her sentence became final.

They also asked her about witness statement against her after she lost her legislative immunity and whether she considered the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) a "terrorist organization."

Citing her resurfaced photos with a PKK member, which had also led the parliament to strip her from legislative immunity, the judge ordered her arrest for "being a member of a terrorist organization."

Güzel was put in İstanbul's Silivri Prison.

HDP: It's unlawful

Saruhan Oluç, the deputy chair of the HDP's parliamentary group, said after the decision that "a scenario is being implemented step by step."

"Unlawful proceedings are carried out. This behavior towards our deputy, who shouldn't stand trial while being arrested, can never be accepted," he told reporters in front of the courthouse.

"As we clearly expressed in her defense at the parliament, we know she didn't commit any crimes. We know she is determined in democratic politics. If there was a rule of law in Türkiye ... our deputy would be acquitted."

Also speaking to reporters, lawyer Veysi Eski said, "Güzel is still a deputy and she is asked questions out of the two summaries of proceedings that are the reasons for the investigation. Because they also know that neither summaries of proceedings make it possible to charge our deputy with these offenses."

What happened?

On January 8, Güzel's photos with Volkan Bora, a PKK member who was killed in 2017, were published by pro-government media outlets.

On January 10, the Ministry of Justice sent a summary of proceedings against the MP to the Presidency, which sent it to the parliament on January 12.

Discussions about lifting Güzel's immunity began on January 20. The Preparatory Commission submitted its opinion for the lift of immunity to the Joint Commission on February 8.

The Joint Commission convened on February 17. Mehmet Rüştü Tiryaki, a HDP deputy and a commission member, defended Güzel at the session.

The commission accepted the decision for the lift of Güzel's immunity with the votes of the members of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), its ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), and its ally İYİ (Good) Party.

The General Assembly of the Parliament on March 1 stripped legislative immunity from Güzel with 313 "yes" and 52 "no" votes.

The summaries of proceedings were also submitted to the HDP closure case as additional evidence. (AS/VK)