Court rejects the request for dropping charges against HDP MP Danış Beştaş

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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Parliamentary Group Deputy Chair and Siirt MP Meral Danış Beştaş stood trial at the Diyarbakır 8th High Criminal Court as the legislative immunities of some HDP MPs were previously lifted as per a temporary article added to the Constitution.

While Meral Danış Beştaş, facing "organization membership" charges, did not attend the hearing yesterday (April 26), her lawyers Mesut Beştaş and Mehdi Özdemir were present in the courtroom. As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), the prosecutor's office requested that if there was no request for extending the prosecution, the case file be submitted to the office for the preparation of the final opinion as to the accusations.

'Trial is unlawful'

Making defense at court, the MP's lawyer Mehdi Özdemir recalled that the trial continued based on the temporary article no. 20 added to the Constitution and they made an application to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), which examined 40 applications in total and has ultimately concluded that freedom of thought and expression has been violated.

The lawyer explained that "the ECtHR, with this ruling of rights violation, has found that lifting the legislative immunity of Meral Danış Beştaş is against the law within the scope of this file." Accordingly, Özdemir requested that charges against the MP be dropped immediately.

The court board has ruled that a writ shall be written to the file no. 2021/195 of the Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court, requesting that the court be informed of the date when Meral Danış Beştaş was considered to be a suspect and on which charge the investigation was being carried out.

Rejecting the requests of the lawyers for dropping the charges, the court board has ruled that the file shall be sent to the prosecutor's office so that the final opinion as to the accusations is prepared.

The next hearing will be held on October 27, 2022. (EMK/SD)