Amnesty International condemns court case to close pro-Kurdish party in Turkey
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A lawsuit to dissolve Turkey's second largest opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (HDP), violates multiple human rights protections, including freedom of expression and association, Amnesty International declared today.
Today, Turkey's Constitutional Court will rule on a decision to close the country's second largest opposition party, the People’s Democratic Party (HDP)
— amnestypress (@amnestypress) April 11, 2023
If upheld, it would result in violations of the rights to freedom of expression & association https://t.co/is5UMI6rC8 pic.twitter.com/7MAtw0C8OO
As the country prepares for the upcoming elections in May, and in the aftermath of the devastating February 6 earthquakes, an order to close HDP and a political ban on several hundred current and former HDP members would be in clear breach of Turkey’s international obligations, Amnesty International argued.
“The Chief Public Prosecutor of the Court of Cassation must withdraw the lawsuit against the HDP, as it stems solely from the peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of association and expression,” Amnesty International said.
“Moreover, the Constitutional Court must ensure that the standards set by the European Court are considered and applied to this case, to ensure that people in the country are able to freely and safely exercise their right to freedom of expression and association, without fear of reprisals.”
Since March 2021, the government under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been systematically undermining the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) on the grounds of its purported connections to the outlawed Kurdish militants.
In January, Turkey's Constitutional Court dismissed HDP's request to postpone the trial to dissolve the party until after the May elections.
Instead, the Constitutional Court scheduled a plea date for the HDP Case on April 11, but the People's Democratic Party (HDP) did not appear for the hearing.
The Constitutional Court assigned its case reporter to prepare a recommendation based on the merits of the case before the end of the court session in order to issue a final verdict. Therefore, the HDP could be disbanded before the Turkish elections.
In turn, the HDP has created the Green Left as an alternative in anticipation of a potential government shutdown, and this party has formed an alliance with other Turkish political parties for the upcoming elections.