June 29, 2014
DIYARBAKIR-AMED, Turkey's Kurdish
region,— Kurdish politician and former DEP MP Hatip
Dicle, who has been in custody for 5 years in the
main Kurdistan Communities Union KCK trial, has been
released on Saturday from prison in Diyarbakir.
Dicle was met at the prison gates by HDP MP Faysal
Sarıyıldız, Amed (diyabakir) Metropolitan Municipal
co-mayors Gültan Kışanak and Fırat Anlı in addition
to family members and representatives of civil
society organisations. Dicle thanked those who had
come to meet him, saying:
"It's strange that I was also released 10 years ago
on a June day. On that day 10 years ago I had hoped
no more Kurdish politicians would go to prison on
account of their opinions."
Hatip Dicle previously served 10 years in prison
after being arrested in 1994 along with MPs Leyla
Zana, the late Orhan Dogan and Selim Sadak.
The court decided on June 28 to release, Dilce a
leading member of now-defunct Democracy Party (DEP),
which was banned by the Constitutional Court in
1994, as well as Husamettin Cicek, former deputy
mayor of the Baglar district of Diyarbakir.
A new legislation prepared by the government and
accepted by Parliament in early 2014 had reduced the
pre-trial detention limit from 10 to five years.
Tahir Elci, Dicle's attorney, said there is no legal
obstacle keeping his client from running in the 2015
general elections. "The release, which ended an
illegal situation, is pleasing, although it came
after 4.5 years," Elci said.
Dicle was elected in the 2011 election with the
backing of the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy
Party, or BDP, at the time, but he was prevented
from becoming a deputy by the Supremewww.Ekurd.net
Election Board, or YSK, which stripped him of the
status because he had been sentenced to 20 months in
prison for “disseminating propaganda for the
outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party [PKK].”
There are 175 defendants in Turkey's ongoing KCK
trial which targeted pro-Kurdish journalists,
activists and politicians under the country's
anti-terror laws. The court is expected to issue a
ruling on the status of the 33 defendants, who
remain arrested, on June 30.
Prosecutors accused the umbrella group of having
links with the PKK, a militant separatist group
regarded as a 'terrorist organization' by Turkey,
the U.S. and the EU.
The
KCK-trial began on October 18, 2010 when a Turkish
court began the trial
of 152 high profile Kurdish politicians and rights defenders,
accused of being the urban wing of the outlawed
separatist Kurdish PKK rebels.
Over
7748 people were taken into
custody and over 3895 persons were
arrested in the scope of KCK operations during the
years, the
pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party announced.
Dozens of BDP executives and employees are still in
prison.
On January 3, 2014, A Turkish court
released two Kurdish lawmakers, the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) deputies
Ibrahim Ayhan and Gulser Yildirim have been held on
remand since 2010, and being tried in
the scope of the so-called KCK (Kurdistan
Communities Union) case.
On January 4, 2014, A Turkish court ordered the
release from
jail on Saturday of three Kurdish lawmakers, who are being tried in the scope of the
so-called KCK (Kurdistan
Communities Union) case.
On March 17, 2014, The 2nd Heavy Penal Court in the southeastern Kurdish city of
Diyarbakir refused
to release of 92 Kurdish politicians in the main case against the Kurdistan
Communities Union (KCK).
On March 17, 2014 Nine lawyers of the imprisoned Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan,
who were tried in KCK case were
released by the Istanbul 1st Heavy Penalty
Court.
On March 26, 2014 Eight journalists have been
released in KCK press case, and 37
politicians in the KCK main trial in Istanbul.
On April 12, 2014, 48 Kurdish politicians and rights activists in the KCK main
trial have been released
from jail.
On April 25, 2014, 29 Kurdish politicians, were
released April after being jailed in the
KCK main trial.
On May 12, 2014, Istanbul 3rd High Criminal Court has ruled the
release of seven
journalists tried in the KCK.
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diclehaber.com | Ekurd.net | firatnews.com | Agencies
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