Democratic Society Congress (DTK) Co-chair and Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Hakkari MP Leyla Guven’s hearing was held in the Diyarbakir Heavy Penal Court No.9.

Guven, who has been on a hunger strike for 49 days against the isolation, didn’t attend the hearing, where the following were present:

HDP Co-chair Pervin Buldan, DTK Co-chair Berdan Ozturk, Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK) Co-spokespersons Gulistan Kilic Kocyigit and Onur Hamzaoglu, Human Rights Association (IHD) Co-chair Ozturk Turkdogan, Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-chair Mehmet Arslan, HDP MPs Ayse Acar Basaran, Selcuk Mizrakli, Semra Guzel, Ebru Gunay, Meral Danis Bestas, Saliha Aydeniz, Musa Farisogullari, Dilan Dirayet Tasdemir, Remziye Tosun, Tayip Temel, Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, Hisyar Ozsoy and Imam Tascier, activists from the TJA and Guven’s children.

COURT CHAIR WHO RULED FOR RELEASE REPLACED

The court chair who ruled for Guven’s release before was replaced in this hearing.

The prosecutor demanded the continuation of Guven’s arrest and the lawyers’ demand for defense counsel was rejected.

Lawyer Reyhan Yalcindag stated that the right to a just trial has been violated since the start of the case, and added that it is not only Guven on trial in the hall, but other politicians like Idris Baluken as well.

“ELIMINATING KURDISH POLITICS THROUGH OTHER MEANS”

Yalcindag said the lawsuits are not legal but political cases and added: “The courts are acting as locales where Kurdish politics are eliminated through other means.”

Yalcindag mentioned the release of CHP MP Enis Berberoglu despite his conviction, and criticized the fact that Guven has not been released. Yalcindag added that they will be appealing to the ECHR.

Lawyers Cemile Turhalli Balsak and Sivan Cemil Ozen demanded the compensation of the damages caused through the legal system.

HEARING POSTPONED

The court argued that there is “a strong suspicion of criminal activity” and ruled for the continuation of Guven’s arrest. The hearing was postponed to January 25, 2019.