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European court condemns Turkey over arrest of pro-Kurdish leader

November 20, 2018



A supporter of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) holds a mask of their jailed former leader and presidential candidate Selahattin Demirtas during a rally in Ankara, Turkey, in this June 19, 2018, file photo. — Reuters
A supporter of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) holds a mask of their jailed former leader and presidential candidate Selahattin Demirtas during a rally in Ankara, Turkey, in this June 19, 2018, file photo. — Reuters

Strasbourg, France — The European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday condemned Turkey over the detention of pro-Kurdish leader Selahattin Demirtas, saying the move aimed at “stifling pluralism”, and asked that he be released.

The court ruled that Turkey violated the right to a speedy trial for the former head of the pro-Kurdish opposition.

Demirtas, one of Turkey’s best known politicians, was sentenced in September to more than four years in jail on terrorism charges, after having spent nearly two years jailed while on trial. At the time of his arrest the charismatic politician dubbed the Kurdish Obama was a member of parliament.

“The court found that the judicial authorities had extended Mr. Demirtas’ detention on grounds that could not

be regarded as ‘sufficient’ to justify its duration,” the Strasbourg-based court said in a statement.

The court also criticized Turkish authorities for keeping Demirtas detained during two political elections: a referendum last year on changing the constitution and moving to an executive presidency, and this year’s presidential election.

“The extensions of Mr Demirtas’ detention, especially during two crucial campaigns... pursued the predominant ulterior purpose of stifling pluralism and limiting freedom of political debate,” it said.

The court, which awarded him 10,000 euro in damages and a further 15,000 euro in costs, ruled against a number of his other complaints and accepted that he had been arrested and detained on “reasonable suspicion” of having committed a criminal offense.

The government accuses the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) of links to the outlawed Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), which is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and the United States. The HDP denies this.

“The Court therefore held, unanimously, that the respondent State was to take all necessary measures to put an end to the applicant’s pre-trial detention,” it said.

Two months ago a court sentenced Demirtas to more than four years in jail on terrorism charges related to a speech he gave in 2013. He faces several other terrorism-related charges and a total of 142 years in prison if convicted.

The ECHR hears cases of alleged violations of the European Convention on Human Rights of which Turkey is a signatory.

Its rulings are binding on member states and Turkey, like fellow member Russia, has in the past usually implemented its findings. — Agencies


November 20, 2018
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