HDP Batman co-chairs sentenced to prison

The co-chairs of the HDP’s Batman provincial association have been sentenced to one year and eight months in prison each for “spreading terrorist organization propaganda.”

Fatma Ablay and Ömer Kulpu are accused of hanging an “illegal banner” at the HDP headquarters in the city. For this reason, the two leaders of the association were arrested on May 29, 2020, and the building was searched.

The defendants attended the trial at the 2nd Batman Heavy Penal Court with their legal counsel on Thursday. Several party members were denied access to the courthouse, citing an “order from above”.

The accused HDP politicians rejected the accusation and demanded acquittal. Lawyer Zedan Ekmen argued that posters with the image of Abdullah Öcalan do not constitute a criminal offense, which has already been confirmed by rulings of the Constitutional Court and the Court of Cassation.

The court ignored the defense’s objections and sentenced Ablay and Kulpu to one year and eight months in prison each. The sentence was suspended.