Leyla Güven sentenced to 5 years in prison

The final hearing in a lawsuit against Leyla Güven, co-chair of the Democratic Society Congress (DTK) and former MP for Hakkari, was held in Hakkari on Friday. The Kurdish politician stands trial over a speech she made during a panel in the Yüksekova district on 15 February 2020, when she said the following; “The call for peace mentioned by Mr. Öcalan is very important. Stop the isolation of Öcalan and ensure his well-being and safety. Let peace come to the Middle East.”

Because of these remarks, the Kurdish politician was accused of “damaging the state’s reputation”, “instigating public hatred and enmity” and “praising a crime and criminal”.

Güven attended the hearing through video conferencing system SEGBIS from the E-Type Women’s Closed Prison in Elazığ where she is held, and her lawyer, Serdar Çelebi from Diyarbakır Courthouse via SEGBIS.

The court sentenced Güven to 5 years in prison for “spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization”.