Pro-Kurdish HDP party asks for release of imprisoned members in Turkey

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) on Tuesday said the imprisonment of HDP politicians should end after a court ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) on the HDP ruled in its favor.

The ECtHR on Tuesday ruled that the lifting of immunity of 40 parliament members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) violated their freedom of expression.

Today, the ECtHR ruled that the lifting of the parliamentary immunity of our MPs, including our former co-chairs #Yüksekdağ and #Demirtaş in 2016, is a violation of their freedom of expression. Our imprisoned politicians' unlawful imprisonment should end now. pic.twitter.com/VEr4c4BFyg

— HDP English (@HDPenglish) February 1, 2022

"Today, the ECtHR (European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled that the lifting of the parliamentary immunity of our MPs, including our former co-chairs #Yüksekdağ and #Demirtaş in 2016, is a violation of their freedom of expression," the official account of the HDP tweeted Tuesday. 

"Our imprisoned politicians' unlawful imprisonment should end now."

The news website BIAnet noted that the Turkish parliament in May 2016 voted to change the constitution to lift the legal immunity of MPs. 

The move by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) was made possible after the Turkish opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) supported the amendment, which required a two-third majority in the parliament, the BIAnet report added.

Turkish police arrested Selahattin Demirtas and ten other members of parliament in a series of night raids in November 2016. The lawmakers were accused of terrorism and "separatism" based on speeches they had previously given.

Demirtas has remained detained ever since, despite two European Court of Human Rights rulings calling for his release. In January 2021, the German government also called on Turkey to release him.