Sinn Féin President calls for the release of HDP’s Demirtaş

Mary Lou McDonald wrote to Demirtaş: “Sinn Féin fully supports your campaign for immediate release from prison and the dropping of the politically motivated charges against you.”

Sinn Féin President, Mary Lou McDonald, has welcomed the recent ruling of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) that Turkey has violated the European Convention on Human Rights in its imprisonment of HDP former co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş.

McDonald said following:

"I welcome this ruling from the ECHR and that they have demanded the immediate release of Selahattin Demirtaş from prison. Selahattin was illegally detained in November 2016, along with 12 other elected HDP MPs. They have been imprisoned simply because they stand for peace, human rights and democracy. More than 5,000 members and activists of the HDP have been detained, and 58 of their elected mayors and 10 of their MPs remain in jail.

The next hearings for Selahattin’s case take place between 12 and 15 December. Sinn Féin sends our solidarity to him and all the HDP representatives facing persecution by the authoritarian government in Turkey. We call for Selahattin’s immediate release and the release of all HDP political prisoners."

Mary Lou McDonald’s letter to Demirtaş reads as follows;

“Dear Mr. Demirtaş,

Thank for your letter dated 16 November 2018.

At the outset can I extend my solidarity, as the President of Sinn Féin, and the collective solidarity of our party to you at this difficult time and in the run up to your next court hearing.

Unfortunately, due to parliamentary and party commitments in December, I will be unable to attend your court hearings between 12 and 15 December. Sinn Féin fully supports your campaign for immediate release from prison and the dropping of the politically motivated charges against you.

We will be following the case closely.

I warmly welcomed the recent ruling of the European Court of Human Rights that Turkey has violated the European Convention on Human Rights with your imprisonment.

I released a public statement welcoming this decision and calling for your immediate release. I hope it will be of use to you and your campaign for justice.

Sinn Féin will continue to speak out against human rights abuses and attacks on democratic freedoms.

We will continue to call for your urgent release.”