The 8th hearing of the trial against HDP former co-chairs Figen Yüksekdağ and Selahattin Demirtaş was held at Kayseri 12th Criminal Court of First Instance on Thursday.

Both politicians, who are accused of “defamation of public officials” did not attend the hearing.

Demirtaş's lawyer, Aydın Erdoğan, was present at the hearing and, after reading the defendants’ petition to be present in court, reminded that the main principle of the criminal proceedings is the principle of face-to-face.

Erdoğan stated that his client wanted to present his defense in person and demanded that investigation and prosecution be carried out following Demirtaş’s complain about the attack against the election office of the HDP.

The Court then gave its verdict: it decided to write a letter to Demirtaş and Yüksekdağ to the prisons asking them to participate in the next hearing through the Voice, Video and Information System (SEGBİS).

The Court also decided that the investigation and prosecution allegedly opened in relation to the attack to the election office, which was demanded by Demirtaş's lawyer, was an abstract claim.

The court decided, however, that Demirtaş and Yüksekdağ were to renounce their defense rights if they refused to participate in the next hearing via SEGBİS.

The next hearing was postponed to 3 May.

HDP former co-chairs Demirtaş and Yüksekdağ filed a criminal complaint on 10 May 2015, after the attack against the Yenidoğan election office of the HDP Kayseri Kocasinan district branch.

As it happened following the decision to rule out prosecution linked to the complaint the two HDP executives were accused of “defamation of public officials.”