'I protested when I read the indictments against Demirtaş, Kavala'

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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Presidential High Advisory Board member Bülent Arınç, who is also one of the founding members of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and a former Parliamentary Speaker, has made remarks about the continued arrest of Selahattin Demirtaş, the arrested former Co-Chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), and Osman Kavala, the arrested businessperson and rights defender.

Attending a live program at Habertürk TV yesterday evening (November 19), Arınç referred to the indictments lodged against Kavala and Demirtaş and said, "I thought that they could not be even a child's work, I even felt like wearing the tog." Expressing his "astonishment" that Kavala is still arrested, he said, "Demirtaş can be released as well."

Arınç briefly said the following:

'With the indictment, release is possible'

"It is both possible that an indictment is lodged against a person who has been arrested for 3-4 years and he or she is released with this indictment.

"I say this by relying on the principle of exceptionality of arrest, by relying on the principle that 'arrest should not become a punishment.'

'Read Demirtaş's Devran'

"As the issue of Demirtaş has come up, I would like to say something to the ones who are now listening to us. There is a very nice storybook written by Demirtaş, its name is 'Devran.' Please, buy and read it.

"I have read it in this process. You will perhaps not change your views on Demirtaş after reading it, but so much will change in your minds about Kurds and the trauma experienced by Kurds.

"One of the wronged [groups] of this country is the Kurds. We all need to read what happened in Diyarbakır Prison in 1980 [military coup period] from the stories of 'Devran'.

'Demirtaş can be released'

"When I was the Deputy Prime Minister, some people were released within the resolution process [for the Kurdish question]. This [he] can be released as well. Judges, prosecutors and courts should think in a liberal way.

"Even though it is not written as such, 'thinking in a liberal way' lies at the basis of the judicial reform to be introduced today.

'Kavala needs to be released'

"The allegations against Kavala have been compiled in a new bill of indictment. But the man has been arrested since 2017.

"They bring me some indictments, they perhaps think [highly] of me. I read it. I am astonished that he is still arrested. He needs to be released.

"I say this based on what I read. I am not a judge or a prosecutor. Dear judges and prosecutors... In criminal law, you cannot just break the heart of a person in half and look what is in there. You cannot fabricate evidence based on doubt, suspicion or comparison.

'I protested when I read the indictments'

"I have been a criminal lawyer for 30 years. When I read these indictments, I protested, saying, 'These could not be even a child's work.'

"In fact, when I said, 'I feel like wearing my tog,' a troll from our circle exposed me by calling me 'Bülo in Tog'.

'They should be released at least as a precaution'

"People who know the law might think that these charges are rambling, they might as well think that it is intended to crease a certain perception. Wasn't it what happened with Pastor [Andrew] Brunson? Wasn't it what happened with [journalist] Deniz Yücel? They met in Büyükada, oh the traitors, who knows what they talked about there... We cannot break anyone's heart in half and look in there. We will know what they talked about. We will know why they met. We will know whether they acted in line with what they did. We will look at the onset of the material incident.

"I say this as a person of law, these people should be released, at least as a precaution. The court might give its judgement. Because the judgement to be handed down by that court has a control mechanism. It will first go to the court of appeals then to the Court of Cassation." (EKN/SD)