The Group of the Unified European Left at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has announced the nomination of HDP Co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş for the 2017 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize.

The Group of the Unified European Left (UEL), GUE/NGL group at the European Parliament, The Left Party (Vänsterpartiet) (Sweden), Enhedslisten – The Red-Green Alliance (Denmark), SP.NL (The Netherlands), Die Linke (Germany), Left-Green Movement (Iceland), SYRIZA (Greece), Kurds & Friends, TNI (Trans National Institute), Enkelmann Dagmar (Rosa Luxemburg Foundation), Kaiser Kerstin (Rosa Luxemburg Foundation) and Florian Weis (Rosa Luxemburg Foundation) are among the sponsors who support the nomination of Demirtaş the prize.

The letter Demirtaş wrote to the UEL Chairman Tiny Kox is as follows:

“Dear Tiny,

I learned through my lawyers that the UEL group nominated me for the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize. I am very honored and would like to thank you and to all group members for your incessant support and solidarity in these most difficult times for our peoples and party in Turkey.

I have no doubt that the HDP will overcome multiple challenges and survive the onslaught carried out by the Erdoğan-AKP regime. We are continuing our dignified struggle from within prisons. The support and solidarity of our comrades across the world is an invaluable support, inspiration and source of motivation. Even under the direst circumstances, we do not lose our hope to create a world free of injustice, inequalities and oppression. We will win the future. Thanks again and I hope to see you in person soon.

Peace and solidarity"