The trial of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) executives on the grounds of the protests against the ISIS attack on Kobanê continues. The first hearing of the lawsuit filed against former HDP MPs Hüda Kaya, Serpil Kemalbay, Fatma Kurtulan, Pero Dündar and Garo Paylan for the protests on 6-8 October 2014 started at Ankara 22nd High Criminal Court in Sincan Prison Campus today.

The hearing is followed by Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Co-Chair Tülay Hatimoğulları, MPs and members of the Democratic Islamic Congress (DIK).

Imprisoned politician Hüda Kaya attended the hearing via video conferencing system SEGBİS from Silivri Women's Closed Prison.

During the hearing, the court recalled the accusations in the indictment. Taking the floor afterward, imprisoned politician Hüda Kaya said, "This indictment came before me as a bad copy of the previous ones. Even if we are left alone, we will not embrace lies and injustice."

Hüda Kaya reacted against the inclusion of her call for help to rescue the wounded in the Cizre incidents in the file.

Lawyer Zilan Leventoğlu drew attention to the conflict process between 2013 and 2015 and noted that 11 years have passed since. Zilan Leventoğlu stated that AKP members who took part in this process were not tried for their activities, but HDP politicians were.

 The hearing will continue after a break.

In the case heard by Ankara 22nd High Criminal Court, 38 aggravated life sentences and 19 thousand 680 years of imprisonment are requested for the politicians.

The 298-page indictment prepared against the politicians was sent to Ankara 22nd High Criminal Court on 22 May.

First Kobanê Trial

The verdict of the first Kobanê trial was announced on 16 May. The case was opened 7 years after the protests against ISIS attacks on Kobanê on 6-8 October 2014 and continued for 4 years.

The Ankara 22nd High Criminal Court ruled for the release of 5 people and acquitted 15 people in the case where 108 people, 18 of whom are imprisoned, are on trial. While 13 of them are to remain in prison, former HDP Co-Chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ were sentenced to 42 and 30 years and 4 months in prison respectively. The court did not find 36 defendants, including Demirtaş, responsible for the loss of life during the protests in various cities and acquitted them.