Sweden Left Party MP Amineh Kakabaveh tabled a motion in parliament about isolation against Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan and the situation of HDP co-mayors and deputies in prison.

Reminding the Swedish parliament that local elections in Turkey are scheduled for 31 March and that they will be carry out in anti-democratic conditions, Kakabaveh said: “A number of HDP members and deputies including former co-chairs Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yüksekdağ are in prison. The European Court of Human Rights ruled the release of Selahattin Demirtas, yet he is still in prison.”

Everyone should act

Kakabaveh stated that both the referendum over the presidential system in 2017 and the political elections in 2018 were held under conditions of emergency and the pressures on the opposition increased.

The motion added: “A strange example of the extent of the repression is the case of forensic medicine expert. Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı who was given 2 years and 6 months of imprisonment.”

Kakabaveh reminded that international observers have found that there have been numerous frauds in the recent elections.

HDP elected representatives in prison

“The government - said the motion - replaced 102 mayors elected by the people. 56 of the 96 HDP mayors are still in jail.”

Reminding that hundreds of political prisoners are on hunger strike in Turkey's prisons, Kakabaveh, said: “Abdullah Öcalan has been in prison for 20 years and hasn't been able to meet his lawyers for years. He was able to meet his brother only a few times. This is a completely inhumane treatment.”

Reminding of the massacres and siege in Sur, Nusaybin, Silvan, Cizre and Silopi, Kakabeveh said: "They fired at people with the machinery they used in war. The rights, freedoms and security of people were abolished. The provisions in the Turkish Constitution that torture and ill treatment cannot be carried out were not respected.”

Erdoğan is an enemy of democracy

Kakabeveh said that Erdoğan manipulated the electoral process and that he was preparing to make a new non-democratic election to consolidate his power. The MP added that Rojava was an example of Erdoğan's pursuit of an aggressive policy towards his neighbors.

“He threatened the people in Rojava. - said the motion - He invaded Afrin in Northern Syria and regularly attacked South Kurdistan. By imposing a state of emergency in North Kurdistan, he made the living conditions of the people unbearable. Turkey today is acting with greed for power and its president is an enemy of democracy and peace.”

Kakabaveh asked Sweden Foreign Minister Margot Wallström to answer the following questions:

“Will the Swedish state send observers to the elections and ask other countries to do the same?

“What does the Foreign Minister think to do in order to ensure the release of HDP opposition politicians and executives such as Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, and the elected mayors?

What does the Foreign Minister intend to do in order for the removal the inhumane isolation imposed on Abdullah Öcalan?

What does the Foreign Minister think to do to convince Turkey to make a democratic choice?”

The motion is expected to be discussed in the Swedish parliament in early April.