Supreme Court Affirms HDP's Yüksekdağ’s 10-Month Jail Term

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10-month prison sentence imposed on Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Figen Yüksekdağ has been affirmed by Supreme Court 16th Penal Chamber.

Yüksekdağ was sentenced to 10 months in prison by Adana 7th Heavy Penal Court on charge of "terror organization propaganda" for attending funeral of Yasemin Çiftçi from the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party (MLKP) in Ankara on February 13, 2012.

The court earlier had imposed the same penalty on Sabahattin Pişkinbaş, Dilek Keskin, Soner Geçgel, Hasan Köse, Meriç Solmaz and Murat Akıncı on charge of "terror organization propaganda".

Then-Chair of the Socialist Party of the Oppressed, Yüksekdağ had defended herself as follows, according to a report by Rudaw:

"I attended Yasemin Çiftçi's funeral without knowing of her membership to any terror organization. I was there because of her socialist identity and I am a socialist as well. My presence at the funeral was for sole humanistic reasons.

"No slogan in favor of terror organization was chanted, I want my acquittal". (EKN/TK)