Motion about Kobanê Trial moved Swiss Federal Assembly

Socialist Party MP Claudia Friedl submitted a motion to the Swiss Federal Assembly regarding the Kobanê Trial and asked the government to take an initiative to release the prisoners.

International reactions continue to come against the sentences given to politicians in the Kobanê Trial. The Zurich-Amed Brotherhood Bridge (Brückenschlag Zürich-Amed), Basel-Wan Sister Cities Platform (Städtepartnerschaft Basel-Wan), Syria/Kurdistan Solidarity Group (Solidaritätsgruppe Syrien/Kurdistan SG) and Peace and Democracy Platform (Platform für Frieden und Demokratie) sent a text to the Swiss Federal Assembly condemning the Kobanê Trial and the sentences handed over to the politicians on trial.

Addressing Swiss Foreign Minister Ignacio Cassis, the institution asked the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to put pressure on Turkey, pointing out that these sentences were political. The prepared text was presented to the parliament as a parliamentary question by Swiss Federal MP Claudia Friedl.

The motion described the period of the Kobanê resistance and the Turkish state's support of ISIS mercenaries, as well as the justification given by the prosecution for the 407-year prison sentence given to 24 politicians, including former co-chairs of HDP Figen Yüksekdağ and Selahattin Demirtaş. The motion said that "the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) considered these trials to be politically motivated, and repeatedly demanded the release of the detainees. The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe last requested the release of former HDP MPs in March 2024. Turkey ignored these decisions and has now given heavy sentences."

The motion added: "Switzerland cannot accept these political sentences silently. We, as organizations striving for peace, democracy and political solution in Turkey, ask you, as members of the Federal Council and members of the Federal Assembly, to condemn these political sentences and demand the immediate release of political prisoners."

Socialist Party (SP) St.Gallen Federal MP Claudia Friedl, who submitted a parliamentary question to the Swiss Federal Assembly, asked the following questions:

"- Why didn't Switzerland object to the sentences?

- Is the Federal Council ready to support the release of prisoners?"