DEM Party Expects Selahattin Demirtaş’s Release Within a Week After European Court Ruling
Turkey's DEM Party expects Selahattin Demirtaş's imminent release after the ECHR reaffirmed his detention violates human rights. The ruling intensifies pressure on Ankara to comply with international law amid ongoing political trials.
By Ahora Qadi
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Turkey’s pro-Kurdish DEM Party said it expects the release of its former co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş “within the week,” following a reaffirmation by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) that his ongoing imprisonment constitutes a political violation of his fundamental rights.
The ECHR ruling, issued on July 8, reiterated that Turkey’s continued detention of Demirtaş violates the European Convention on Human Rights and declared that the case was “not lawful,” describing the reasons behind his imprisonment as “politically motivated.”
Formal Request Filed with Ankara’s Heavy Penal Court
Following the ruling, DEM Party’s Human Rights and Legal Commission formally filed a request with the 22nd High Criminal Court in Ankara, calling for the immediate release of Selahattin Demirtaş and former HDP co-chair Figen Yüksekdağ. Both have been held in pre-trial detention as part of the so-called “Kobanî trial.”
Demirtaş has been imprisoned since Nov. 4, 2016, and was recently sentenced to 42 years in prison by Ankara’s High Criminal Court on May 7, while Yüksekdağ received a 30-year sentence over the same case.
ECHR Confirms Detention Is Unjustified
Öztürk Türkdoğan, Deputy Co-Chair of DEM Party, underscored the significance of the ruling. “The ECHR has unequivocally stated that the continued detention of Demirtaş is unlawful and based on political grounds,” he said.
“Since the case is already under the jurisdiction of the court,” Türkdoğan continued, “we believe that a decision to release him must be issued without delay. We predict that Demirtaş will be released within a week.”
Political and Legal Pressure Intensifies
The ECHR ruling adds considerable pressure on Turkey, which is legally bound to abide by its judgments as a member of the Council of Europe. The court had previously ruled in 2020 that Demirtaş’s detention was aimed at stifling pluralism and political debate in Turkey.
This latest decision deepens the spotlight on Ankara's handling of high-profile political cases and comes amid renewed calls from international legal institutions and human rights organizations demanding that Turkey respect judicial independence and human rights standards.
As of now, Selahattin Demirtaş remains incarcerated in Edirne Prison, but momentum is building among legal and political circles that his release could soon become a reality.
