Deposed co-mayor of Kocaköy remains in prison

25 mayors of the HDP were arrested and trustees have been appointed by the Turkish Ministry of the Interior to 38 municipalities in Northern Kurdistan.

The hearing in the case against Kurdish politician Rojda Nazlıer of the HDP has been held in Amed (Diyarbakir) on Monday. The co-mayor of the Kocaköy district municipality, elected in March 2019, was arrested in October on terror charges. She faces up to 15 years imprisonment.

The hearing at Diyarbakır 11th Heavy Penal Court was observed by relatives and friends of Nazlıer as well as by HDP MPs Remziye Tosun, Musa Farisoğulları and Meral Danış Beştaş. Rojda Nazlıer herself was only able to attend via video conferencing system SEGBIS from the prison in Kayseri.

The charges against the politician are based on the testimonies of repentants. Last year, 25 mayors of the HDP were arrested and trustees have been appointed by the Turkish Ministry of the Interior to 38 municipalities in Northern Kurdistan. The HDP had won the local elections in 65 municipalities.

Rojda Nazlıer rejected the charges against her at the court hearing and demanded acquittal. As she stated in her defense, the two key witnesses were arrested two years ago and are benefiting from the Turkish law of repentance, which provides for a reduced sentence for key witnesses. "That the two witnesses testified against me seven months after my election was part of the plan to appoint a trustee. This is a political trial," said the deposed mayor.

The court ruled continuation of detention for Nazlıer and adjourned the hearing to 20 April.