Appeal for HDP presidential candidate Demirtaş’s release

HDP submitted an appeal to the High Penal Court No.19 for the release of presidential candidate Selahattin Demirtaş.

An appeal was submitted to the High Penal Court No.19 where the case Demirtaş is arrested in is heard. The appeal was submitted by lawyers Mahsuni Karaman, Yıldız İrmek, Ramazan Demir, Sertaç Buluttekin and Aygül Demirtaş.

The lawyers demand the release of Demirtaş due to the “right to free elections as protected by Article 67 of the Constitution and the Article 3 of Protocol No. 1 to the European Convention on Human Rights”.

The lawyers list their demands as follows:

“As the client is both a member of parliament and a confirmed Presidential candidate for the elections to be held on June 24, the current status of incarceration is in violation of the right to personal freedom and safety as defined in the Article 5 of the ECHR and the Article 67 of the Constitution and the Article 3 of Protocol No. 1 to the ECHR,

The period of incarceration has exceeded 1 year 6 months,

Evidence has been gathered and there is no other evidence that could affect the case,

The client is a member of parliament and a Presidential candidate, as such is at no flight risk, on the contrary has concrete affairs that would require otherwise.

By virtue of these, we demand our client be rightly released.