The hearing of Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) former co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş, who has been held hostage in prison for over 4 years, was held at the 47th Criminal Court of First Instance in Istanbul on Wednesday. Demirtaş is accused of allegedly insulting the former Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu. The court board accepted the request of his lawyers and moved the hearing to the 27th Heavy Criminal Court Hall.
While Demirtaş attended the hearing via video conferencing system (SEGBİS) from Edirne F Type Prison, where he is detained, his lawyers were present in the courtroom.
In addition to many lawyers, Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) Co-Spokesperson İdil Uğurlu, Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-Chairs Saliha Aydeniz, Keskin Bayındır, HDP MPs Nuran İmir, Hüda Kaya, Züleyha Gülüm, Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit, Oya Ersoy and many other people attended the hearing.
Demirtaş made a defense in the hearing, which started with his identification.
The Kurdish politician commended the hunger strike resistance of political prisoners in Turkey’s jails against the isolation of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan. He said, "There are also problems in prisons. Some of my friends are on hunger strike. I greet them too."
The court board adjourned the hearing to 26 May.