Lawyers Ramazan Demir, Benan Molu and Murat Arksak have visited HDP former co-chair Selahattin Demirtas in Edirne F Type Closed Prison after the European Court of Human Rights found violations of his rights and called for the termination of his detention.

According to the lawyers, Demirtas assessed the ECHR ruling during Tuesday’s meeting and said the following;

“As we have stated since the very first day, the operation against HDP, our imprisonment and trial was based on not legal but political motives. The cases I stand trial in and the allegations put forward in this scope have all collapsed. The ECHR ruling has concretized that all the courts that passed unlawful decisions against us during this period of time, including the Constitutional Court, have committed severe violations. The new tutelage of politics on judiciary constitutes a great danger for both democracy and the future of society.

Unfortunately, the President, who makes a statement on the subject as the head of executive power, can still express, despite the Court ruling, that he will not recognize the law and Constitution. This issue does not appertain to me alone as it is a very grave situation for the whole society of Turkey and democracy, as has been determined in the ECHR ruling.

Our struggle for law and justice will continue under all circumstances. Despite the fact that I have been imprisoned for two years without a fair court ruling, I have never lost my faith in democracy, justice and peace. My greatest source of hope in this regard is the people and their struggle.

I extend my sincerest thanks and gratitude to all the lawyers who have given a challenging legal struggle for this decision with quite important and serious results, to my party HDP and to all our people who have shown solidarity.”