Demirtaş: We'll protect the dignity of people’s will we represent

HDP Co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş said the following regarding the hearing he wasn’t allowed to attend as he refused to be handcuffed: “We will resist injustice under any circumstances and we will protect the dignity of the people’s will we represent.”

Peoples’ Democratic Party (Halkların Demokratik Partisi - HDP) Co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş issued a short message through his lawyers after he wasn’t allowed to attend his own trial when he refused to comply with the imposition of handcuffs. The message as published by dihaber is as follows:

“I said yesterday that it should be understood that if I wasn’t brought to the hearing, the only problem would be that I refused to be handcuffed during transport in the shuttle. I am still a member of the parliament on active duty, with immunity. I represent the will of the people. I find the handcuffing practice in a shuttle ride that will take hours illegal and immoral. I was brought back to my cell from the prison door without being taken into the shuttle at around 04.00 a.m. because I refused to be handcuffed. My right to a fair trial was violated thusly, even in this case in which I’m on trial without remand. The case I am in fact on remand for still doesn’t have a set date, even though it has been 8 months. We will resist injustice under any circumstances and we will protect the dignity of the people’s will we represent.”