Prosecutor demands continuation of detention for HDP’s Demirtaş

Prosecutor demanded continuation of detention for HDP Co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş who is jailed since November 2016.

HDP Co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş who is held in Edirne F Type Prison was set to appear at court for the first time 399 days after his imprisonment.

Which court Demirtaş’s case would be heard in could not be decided for a long time, and then the case was attempted to be combined with the case of 4 pro-Hezbollah people’s deaths. Demirtaş’s file went back and forth between the Ankara High Criminal Court No.2 and No.10 several times, but wasn’t combined in the end.

Two days before the hearing, the case expected to be heard in the Sıhhiye Courthouse was transferred to the Sincan Prison Campus hall for “security” reasons. The court has also decided to not to bring Demirtaş into the courtroom for the hearing for “security” reasons as well.

Demirtaş was not present at today’s hearing as he was asked to attend it through video conferencing system SEGBİS, which he refused, saying that he wanted to be tried face to face.

During the hearing at Sincan Prison Campus hall, prosecutor demanded continuation of detention for the HDP Co-chair who sent a petition to the court after his denial of participation in the hearing.

In the 12-page petition, Demirtaş requested provision of necessary conditions for him to be able to defend himself.