Hearing of Kobani Trial continues

The seventh sitting of the third hearing of the Kobani Trial against 108 people, 24 of whom are jailed pending trial, has started at the Ankara 22nd High Criminal Court.

Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) MPs as well as party executives and many people are attending the hearing at the Sincan Prison Campus Hall.

HDP former co-chairs Figen Yüksekdağ, deposed co-mayor of Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Gültan Kışanak, HDP former Central Executive Board (MYK) member Zeynep Ölbeci are attending the hearing through the sound and video information system (SEGBİS) from the prisons where they are held. HDP former MYK members Can Memiş, Berfin Özgü Köse and Cihan Erdal, who were released from custody last week, were connected to the hearing with SEGBİS from Istanbul.

HDP former MPs Gülser Yıldırım and Aysel Tuğluk who are jailed pending trial, former co-chair of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Emine Ayna and Imralı Delegation Spokesperson Sırrı Süreyya Önder, as well as Ahmet Türk, Gülfer Akkaya and Altan Tan who are tried without arrest did not attend the hearing by citing excuses. HDP former co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş did not attend the hearing since he is preparing for his defence. Kars Municipality former co-mayor Ayhan Bilgen did not attend the hearing because he is excluded from the hearing due to health problems.

Democratic Regions Party (DBP) former co-chair Sebahat Tuncel, HDP former spokesperson Günay Kubilay, HDP Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) member Ali Ürküt, former deputies Emine Beyza Üstün, İbrahim Binici, HDP Foreign Relations Commission member Nazmi Gür, HDP new term MYK member Alp Altınörs, Meryem Adıbelli, HDP former treasurer Zeki Çelik, HDP former MYK members Pervin Oduncu, Ayşe Yağcı, Bircan Yorulmaz, Bülent Parmaksiz, İsmail Şengül, Dilek Yağ and Sibel Akdeniz and writer Nezir Çakan are present at the courtroom.

Former MP and TJA activist Ayla Akat Ata will attend the hearing in the afternoon. The lawyers of Akat who made a defense yesterday demanded her release.

Akat’s lawyer, Çiğdem Kozan, requested that her client’s parliamentary speeches be removed from the file. Kozan noted that the parliamentary speeches should be considered within the framework of political freedom. “There was a peace process in this country and a law was enacted during the period. The fourth article of the law says that those who undertook responsibility in the peace process will be exempted from criminal responsibility. The government acts as if there was no solution process in this country. My client was both a deputy and a member of the Imralı delegation at that time. She is someone who took responsibility during the peace process.”

Kozan expressed that there was no call for violence in a tweet posted by the HDP, which is considered a crime in the indictment. “It was a call for solidarity against the brutality of ISIS,” the lawyer said. Recalling the decisions of the ECtHR, Kozan said, “The ECtHR has clearly demonstrated that the government attempted to silence the opposition.” She revealed that Akat’s speeches concerning women issues were also included in the indictment. “Akat was tried and acquitted for most of these speeches. We have added these acquittal verdicts to this file, but they are used for her arrest.”

Kozan maintained that Akat has been fighting for women rights for 20 years. “We think that the will of women is suppressed by the judiciary against women’s struggle for organization. Turkey has shattered a record of violations in women rights according to the ECtHR. The concept of enemy criminal law is vigorously enforced.  In theory, freedom of association is protected. But unfortunately, this is not practiced in any way in our country. The ECtHR ruling said that my client’s political rights are violated.”

“From the documents in the indictment, we see that the secret witness statement was taken without a lawyer at the police station. Witness statements are added to the case long after the case is opened,” Kozan added.