Behind bars since 2016, HDP’s Çağlar Demirel released
* Photo: HDP
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Çağlar Demirel, the former Diyarbakır MP of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), was released yesterday (September 21).
Demirel was arrested pending trial as part of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) Main Trial, which was held again upon a Court of Cassation ruling. The KCK Main Trial, where Demirel was on trial, was previously merged with the case where she was sentenced to 7 years, 6 months in prison. Upon this merging, the Court of Cassation overturned the ruling.
At the hearing of the retrial held yesterday, the Diyarbakır 5th Heavy Penal Court ruled that Çağlar Demirel should be released.
HDP Diyarbakır Provincial Organization has shared a video of the moment of Demirel's release from prison, attaching the note, "We have taken our deputy Çağlar Demirel. Same to all political prisoners..."
Çağlar Demirel vekilimizi aldıķ.Darısı tüm siyasi tutsaklara. pic.twitter.com/qLznfayDwS
— HDP Amed İl Örgütü (@HDPAMED21) September 21, 2021
'I was arrested because I stood with people'
As reported by Etkin News Agency (ETHA), yesterday's hearing was attended by Çağlar Demirel and her lawyers.
HDP Group Deputy Chair Meral Danış Beştaş, Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-Chair Saliha Aydeniz, HDP Diyarbakır MP Remziye Tosun, Free Women's Movement (TJA) activists and Demirel's family also followed the hearing while the court board did not allow journalists in.
In her statement at court, Demirel said that she was put on trial because she had waged a struggle for women's freedom. Recalling that she was also arrested in 2012, when she was mayor, Demirel said:
"I was arrested because I served the people; as the people were content with it, I was not allowed to serve and I was arrested. Similarly, when I was elected as a deputy, I was arrested because I stood with the people and expressed their all types of problems.
"The speeches I made at and outside the Parliament are obvious. Moreover, even though I told you to bring the person who gave statements about me over and over again and to let us face, you didn't.
"It is said that I am a flight risk. If I was to flee, I would have already done it. I went abroad several times. On my last journey, I knew that I would be taken into custody on November 4; but I still returned. I didn't have the intention to go anywhere. I didn't and I cannot.
"I am here. I have been on trial for 10 years. I have been arrested for over 7.5 years. Several people on trial as part of the same file as me have been acquitted. But I am not released since I am an HDP deputy."
Taking the floor afterwards, Demirel's lawyers said that "the prosecutor's opinion as to the accusations was copy-pasted from the previous opinion as to the accusations." Referring to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruling of rights violation and release for former HDP Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş, lawyers requested Demirel's release.
Following the recess, the Diyarbakır 5th Heavy Penal Court ruled that Çağlar Demirel should be released.
About Çağlar Demirel
Former HDP Diyarbakır MP. She was arrested on December 13, 2016.
Born in Diyarbakır's Kulp district in 1969, Çağlar Demirel studied nursing at Dicle University. She worked for several NGOs, such as the Family Planning Association of Turkey, Mother Child Training Foundation, Association for Support and Training of Women Candidates (KA.DER), Glimmer of Hope Women's Cooperative and Free Women's Congress (KJA).
She was the coordinator of women's affairs at the Diyarbakır Bağlar District Municipality. She also served as the Mardin Derik District Mayor from the Democratic Society Party (DTP). (AS/SD)