15 Kurdish politicians sentenced to prison in Mardin

15 Kurdish politicians, including former MP Gülser Yıldırım, were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 6 years and 3 months to 7 years and 6 months for alleged "membership in an illegal organisation" in the KCK Trial.

A lawsuit was filed against 15 Kurdish politicians in Mardin in 2014 on the grounds of the establishment of City Assemblies.

The final hearing in the case against Nazım Kök, Davut Bozan, İpek Güneş, Ayşe Bozan, Ziver Gümüş, İsa Durç, Lokman Ekenek, Abdulkadir Aktaş, Erdal Irmak, Davut Şahin, Musa Alkan, Sedat Dağ, Mesut Amak, former MP Gülser Yıldırım and Genco Akman was held at Mardin 2nd High Criminal Court on Tuesday. Kurdish politicians did not attend the hearing, where they were represented by their lawyers.

While the court asked the prosecution to present its final opinion, the prosecutor tried to criminalise the City Assemblies, which the politicians stated were formed within the scope of the Democratic Regions Party's (DBP) statute. The court argued that the City Assemblies corresponded to the crime of "membership in an illegal organisation", meaning the PKK.

Following the defence of the lawyers, the court sentenced 15 politicians to imprisonment on the charge of "membership in an illegal organisation".

According to the verdict, Lokman Ekenek was sentenced to 7 years and 6 months, Davut Şahin to 7 years and 6 months, Nazım Kök to 7 years and 6 months, Ziver Gümüş to 7 years and 6 months, Davut Bozan to 7 years and 6 months, İpek Güneş to 7 years and 6 months, Ayşe Bozan to 7 years and 6 months, Musa Alkan to 6 years, 10 months and 15 days, İsa Durç to 6 years, 10 months and 15 days, Genco Akman to 6 years and 3 months, Sedat Dağ to 6 years and 3 months, Gülser Yıldırım to 6 years and 3 months, Mesut Amak to 6 years and 3 months, Abdulkadir Aktaş to 6 years and 3 months and Erdal Irmak to 6 years and 3 months.