Former DBP Diyarbakır Provincial co-chair Akça gets a 7 years and 6 months prison sentence

Emine Ruken Akça, former Provincial co-chair of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Diyarbakır, was tried at Diyarbakır 8th High Criminal Court on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” and “making propaganda for a terrorist organization” was held. At the hearing, which Akça did not attend, her lawyers were present.

Secret witnesses

Claiming that Akça participated in various actions and activities, funerals and condolences of members of an illegal organization, the prosecutor said she was acting on instructions of the same illegal organization during her term as DBP Provincial co-chair. The prosecution accused Akça of being a member of Jinên Azad (KJA) Kongre (Free Women’s Congress), which was closed by statutory decree. Among the “evidence” was the speech she delivered at Sur Provincial Organization congress in 2017. The prosecution also quoted statements by secret witnesses named ‘Ezel’ and ‘Hafiz’ as evidence.

Lawyer Ali Çimen said that her client’s speeches, which were the subject of the accusation, were not translated correctly and that the statements of secret witnesses were also not clear. Reminding the violation decisions of the Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights regarding similar proceedings, Çimen demanded the acquittal of her client.

Imprisonment

Announcing its decision, the court board sentenced Emine Ruken Akça to 6 years and 3 months in prison for “membership of a terrorist organization” and 1 year and 3 months for “making propaganda for a terrorist organization”. Considering the fact that the sentence given for “propagandizing for a terrorist organization” was less than two years, and the attitude and behaviour of the accused during the trial, the court decided to postpone this sentence and apply probation.