The Progressive Bench is made up of deputies of the parties and coalitions Frente para la Victoria of Argentina, the Workers' Party and the Communist Party of Brazil, the Guasu Front of Paraguay, the Broad Front of Uruguay and the Great Patriotic Pole from Venezuela.

The Progressive Bench issued a statement of solidarity with Leyla Güven.

Here is the full text of the statement:

“The Progressive Bench of Parlasur expresses its support and solidarity with HDP deputy, Leyla Güven, unjustly imprisoned by the Erdogan regime since the day she was elected to Parliament and who is on a hunger strike to protest against the isolation imposed on the leader of the PKK, Abdullah Öcalan on the island of Imrali since 2015.

The imprisonment and isolation of Mr. Öcalan is an obstacle in the way of peace and the political solution to the situation of the Kurdish people and violates all international conventions.

In these moments there are several hunger strikes in different cities of the country in solidarity with deputy Leyla; Likewise, 10 HDP deputies have started a hunger strike in Parliament in solidarity with her struggle.

We declare as the Progressive Bench of Parlasur our solidarity with the Kurdish deputy and her hunger strike and we hope that the illegal imprisonment of Leyla Güven will end as soon as possible, so that she can resume her legislative activity.

Likewise, we ask that Mr. Öcalan's inhuman and illegal isolation be brought to an end, so that the door opens again to peace talks in Turkey.”