Aggravated life sentence sought for HDP's Baluken

The evidence in the indictment against HDP Group Deputy Chairperson İdris Baluken was collected while Baluken and the İmralı Committee were holding meetings with the state.

The prosecutor who managed to whip up a charge of “dividing the country” from HDP Group Deputy Chairperson İdris Baluken’s speeches prepared an indictment with a demand for aggravated life sentence and an 18 year prison sentence. The indictment shows that during Baluken’s 2014 meetings with the state and Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan in line with the resolution process, “evidence” was being gathered against him.

Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Group Deputy Chairperson and İmralı Committee member İdris Baluken was arrested in the operation against his party and is facing aggravated life in prison and an 18 year sentence. Bingöl Chief Public Prosecutor Ahmet Bektaş prepared the indictment which was later accepted by Bingöl High Criminal Court No.2. The Bingöl High Criminal Court ruled lack of jurisdiction for some charges on Baluken due to the fact that the alleged crime was committed in Diyarbakır but the lawsuit was filed in Bingöl, and transferred the file to Diyarbakır High Criminal Court. The 14 page indictment sent to Diyarbakır mentions rallies and Newroz celebrations Baluken attended between 2011 and 2015 in Diyarbakır and Bingöl, press statements and comments as part of political party activity to accuse him. It is significant that the meetings Baluken held within the knowledge of the state on İmralı island are considered criminal.

PROSECUTORS ARRESTED

The prosecutors who prepared 15 summaries on Baluken for speeches he made between 2011 and 2012 in Bingöl have been expelled from duty and arrested for being “FETÖ” members. The summaries prepared by the FETÖ member judges and prosecutors regarding his speeches in DTK meetings in 2011 in Diyarbakır are also used to accuse him.

ONLY CRIME IS SPEECH

The inquiry’s prosecutor starts with explaining the history of PKK, as does every other prosecutor. The prosecutor adds rallies, demonstrations and press statements Baluken attended in Bingöl and Diyarbakır between 2011 and 2016 to the indictment. Baluken attending the march to Gemlik in October 2011 to protest the isolation of Öcalan and the conspiracy of October 9, attending funerals for HPG members, making calls for participation in Newroz events, giving speeches to voters in DTK meetings or as part of the election campaign are listed among the “crimes”. The informative speech Baluken gave on their meetings with PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan in the rally held on June 5 in Diyarbakır where a bomb exploded and Baluken calling for a return to talks with Öcalan and loyalty to the resolution process were also listed as “crimes”. Baluken’s speeches during press statements in the beginning of the curfew in Sur calling for an end to clashes and protecting the historic fabric of the district were also added to the indictment by the prosecutor.

PROSECUTORS WORKED HARD WHILE BALUKEN WAS MEETING WITH THE STATE

One of the alleged crimes is very significant. The prosecutor lists the crime dates and locations and adds the press statement made in Bingöl on February 15, 2014 on the anniversary of the international conspiracy to the indictment. On that date, Baluken was in the HDP Committee headed to İmralı island on the request and within knowledge of the state. As Baluken was going back and forth between the state committee and Öcalan on one hand, the prosecutors kept busy and crafted summaries out of Baluken’s speeches.

AGGRAVATED LIFE SENTENCE AND 18 YEARS IN PRISON

By the end of the indictment the prosecutor demands aggravated life sentence and 18 years in prison for allegations of “membership to a terrorist organization”, “terrorist propaganda”, “disrupting the unity of the state and the integrity of the country by engaging in activities against the unitary structure of the country that aim to weaken the independence and disrupt the unity of the state and separate some territory under state sovereignty from the rule of the state under orders from PKK/KCK and becoming a member to and attending meetings of the Democratic Society Congress (DTK) that declared autonomy for some parts of the eastern part of the country”, “attending illegal meetings and marches, unarmed”.

Baluken’s trial will commence if the indictment is accepted.