Memet Sıddık Akış, the Kurdish elected Co-Mayor of Hakkari, was removed by Erdoğan’s regime in an illegal political coup two days ago. Now, exacerbating the injustice, Akış has been inexplicably sentenced to 19.5 years in prison based on “secret false witness” statements made 14 years ago. The file, which was not opened during all these years, was suddenly reopened and Akış was sentenced in a matter of two days.

In a statement on Wednesday,  the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) remarked: “Replacing the elected mayor with a governor hand-picked by the Interior Minister before the verdict was even announced, is indicative of a political plot by an AKP-MHP alliance which sees their iron grip on power in Turkey fading fast.”

KNK said: “As mentioned in our statement, Mehmet Sıddık Akış of the DEM Party was elected the Mayor of Colemêrg, winning 48.92 percent of the vote in the elections held on 31 March. He was taken into custody in Van on the morning of 3 June. The trial of Mehmet Sıddık Akış was concluded at Hakkari Heavy Penal Court No. 1 on Wednesday (5 June) and the court sentenced Akış to 19 years and 6 months in prison. As an indication of how the Kafkaesque Turkish judicial system works, an arrest warrant was also issued after he was already sentenced.

The investigation file used to justify this action is based solely on unfounded allegations by Turkish police and the prosecutor. Media reports reveal how a key witness using the alias ‘Oyun Bozan’ (Killjoy), was forced by Turkish police to lie in the case against the Kurdish Colemêrg (Hakkari) co-Mayor, resulting in Akış being deposed based on his false testimony.”

Memet Akış stated at today’s court hearing the following:

“I say that the file put on the agenda today is also political. My head is upright. I am 53 years old; I have been struggling for all these years and I will continue to struggle. I stand behind everything I did. I did what I had to do politically. I stand before you with my head held high. I said peace, I said brotherhood, I said justice, I said equality, I said freedom. I built my whole life around these, and I will do so from now on. I am not afraid of being arrested or going to prison […] I demand that a new indictment be prepared. Why was the trial not held four months or a year ago, but now it is being held? I know that this trial is political.”

KNK noted that “Kurdish people throughout Turkey and Northern Kurdistan are now protesting the verdict, but the Turkish secret services are attacking these peaceful protesters. This dictatorial and authoritarian decision by Erdoğan’s regime cannot be allowed to stand!”

One of the protesters, a 73-year-old Kurdish woman, gave a very strong response to Erdoğan’s political coup, proclaiming: “We have been suffering from this unjust state for 100 years, we still suffer again, but we will never give up our cause or will. We will resist!”

The statement concluded: “We once again urge the Council of Europe (CoE) and the European Union (EU) as well as all democratic public opinion, political parties, and international organisations to take a strong stance against Erdoğan’s political coup, and to show solidarity with the DEM Party, by upholding the democratic political rights of the Kurdish people.”