The hearing in which 108 HDP members stand trial, 28 of whom are jailed pending trial, resumed after a break. Defense lawyers objected to the procedure of the hearing. Lawyer Mesut Beştaş said that: “We, as lawyers, are very eager to reveal the events in this file. However, we see that there are many obstacles to revealing the reality of the events. As a matter of fact, the ways of clarifying the events have been expressed, but no steps have been taken until now.”

BEŞTAŞ: OUR CONCERNS HAVE INCREASED

Beştaş continued as follows: “Some lawyers were not even allowed inside the courtroom. Moreover, no defendant has been allowed to give his opinion on this file. In this context, I would like to say that the court's approach so far has increased our concerns about a fair trial as we demanded.

A second investigation cannot be initiated into the same incident after the investigation has evolved into a prosecution phase. In other words, it is a procedural rule that repeated trials must be completed on the first day of the trial. In this context, even if it has been overlooked, when the first investigation is developed into a prosecution phase, the investigation should be combined with the first file in terms of procedure.

There are many lawsuits concerning the 2014 Kobanê protests. However, these lawsuits are purely politically motivated. We are faced with practices that disregard fair trial conditions both during the investigation phase and the prosecution phase. Our clients are subjected to these practices. To criticize these practices, we know that our client Selahattin Demirtaş wants to speak in the court. So, we demand that our client be given the right to present his justifications, some of which may include recusation."

Demirtaş's lawyer Mahsuni Karaman said that his client should be allowed to speak and that they would express their demands after his objections.

Cemile Turhallı Balsak, lawyer of former DBP co-chair Sebahat Tuncel, demanded that her client's objections and demands be heard and added, “We have objections regarding your attitude which impedes the trial. It will not make sense for you to preside over this court as president”.

COURT REJECTS REQUESTS

The prosecution demanded that the lawyers' requests be rejected and that the indictment be read. The court rejected the demands of the lawyers for recusation and stated that the reason should be submitted in writing.

The hearing is continuing with protests as the indictment is being read out.

The lawyers' requests to allow Yüksekdağ, Demirtaş and Tuncel to speak for recusation were also rejected. Yüksekdağ and Demirtaş displayed banners reading "I want to speak" in a video call through SEGBIS system. People in the courtroom protested the court with applause.