Habertürk TV Ankara representative Fevzi Çakır claimed that the Chief Public Prosecutor who deals with the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) closure case demanded that the HDP's treasury grants be blocked. According to a decision in the HDP closure case on December 6, the chief prosecutor is expected to give his opinion on January 10. However, this new development seems to be based on rumours.

Lawyer Serhat Eren spoke to ANF about the blocking of treasury grants to the HDP. He said that if there is such a decision, the goal is to prevent treasury grants to the HDP in January. “The Chief Public Prosecutor had requested to block HDP’s accounts. However, the Constitutional Court rejected this request. Although nothing has changed legally since the day the case was opened, the Chief Public Prosecutor has made such a request again. One of the reasons for his request is probably to prevent the treasury grants that will be made to our party in January.”

MHP'S REQUEST

Lawyer Eren maintained that the Chief Public Prosecutor’s request seemed legally possible and added the move was politically introduced by the government’s ally MHP. “This request was submitted before, and the Constitutional Court rejected it. Since then, no legal justification has emerged to justify this request. The Chief Public Prosecutor was forced by the MHP to open the case. The government ally MHP had already forced the Constitutional Court to close the HDP. The Chief Public Prosecutor has made a request to render our party incapable of doing politics before a court decision has been made regarding our party. Undoubtedly, the prosecutor can make such a request theoretically and legally. But it is the MPH that has forced him to do so.”

WE EXPECT REQUEST WILL BE REJECTED

Lawyer Eren explained about the legal process: “We think, or rather we hope, that the Constitutional Court will reject this request of the Chief Public Prosecutor. According to the criminal procedure law, when the Chief Public Prosecutor makes a request, the court forwards this request to the HDP. The HDP presents objections to this request, if any. The HDP is supposed to prepare a defence and submit it to the court. The court then evaluates this request of the Chief Public Prosecutor and makes a decision.”

GOVERNMENT CRACKDOWN ON HDP

Lawyer Eren emphasized that the recent move to block treasury grants to the HDP is part of the government crackdown against the HDP that has been going on since 2015. He remarked: “After the Chief Public Prosecutor presents his opinion, the Constitutional Court will summon our party to make its defence. After the HDP makes its defence, the file will be sent to the rapporteur. The rapporteur will also submit his report to the court. The court will forward the report prepared by this rapporteur to all members. Then the court will determine a day and the Constitutional Court will make a decision that day.

The recent move should be considered as a part of the attacks against our party. Since 2015, there has been a government crackdown on the HDP. The appointment of trustees to our municipalities, the arrests of our co-mayors and deputies, physical attacks on our provincial and district organizations, the murder of our comrade Deniz Poyraz in İzmir and the maltreatment and the isolation of Kurdish prisoners in prisons ... All these are part of the government strategy put forward against the HDP and the closure case. The Kobanê conspiracy trials are also part of this strategy.”