HDP’s Beştaş to stand trial for sharing photograph of jailed MPs
HDP MP Meral Danış Beştaş is facing an investigation, in which she is accused of “spreading propaganda for PKK” by sharing a photograph of HDP MPs who are on remand without conviction.
Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Co-chair and 8 other deputies are imprisoned due to investigations prepared by courts and summaries of proceedings issued in the parliament, most of them being in connection with their speeches, comments and political activities, which is a constitutional right. Most of the indictments and summaries of proceedings issued against them push the limits of reason, like the most recent one prepared against Adana MP Meral Danış Beştaş, which reveals the extent of judicial actions taken against them.
While Beştaş’s participation in an event organized by DBP (Democratic Regions’ Party) Kayapınar district branch on 7 November 2016 is considered a crime, the prosecutor went beyond that and accused her of supporting the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) for sharing a photo of imprisoned HDP Co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş, former HDP Co-chair Figen Yüksekdağ, HDP MPs Nursel Aydoğan, İdris Baluken, Ferhat Encü, Selma Irmak, Abdullah Zeydan, and Gülser Yıldırım who are also behind bars.
The summary of proceedings was prepared by acting Chief Public Prosecutor of Diyarbakır, Kurça Eker, who is known to have been appointed to deal with legal actions against deputies of the HDP.
As usual, the introduction of the summary of proceedings tells about the history and mission of PKK, and indicates the mentioned photograph Beştaş shared on her Twitter account as evidence of “spreading PKK propaganda”. The indictment argues that: “By sharing the photograph of HDP deputies who are imprisoned for “spreading PKK/KCK terror organisation propaganda” and “membership to an armed terror organisation”, Beştaş is understood to be supporting them and “propagandising for PKK/KCK terror organisation”. As the suspect still serves as HDP MP for Adana, I submit an offer for the removal of her parliamentary immunity by the Turkish Parliament in accordance with Article 83 of the Constitution for your review.”
After receiving the summary of proceedings, the General Assembly of the Parliament granted permission to the prosecutor for an investigation. In the event that the indictment is prepared, Beştaş will stand trial for sharing the photograph her MP friends who are innocent before the law as their trial continues.
