Mehmet Ali Aydin, former chair of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Diyarbakir Branch, has been sentenced to nine year seven months in prison for saying ‘guerrilla’ and ‘Mr. Ocalan is being recognized by 3.5 million people as their leader’ during a meeting on February 15, 2009 the anniversary of the abduction of Abdullah Ocalan by Turkey.

Aydin has been convicted of ‘committing crime without being member of an illegal organization’ and ‘making propaganda for an illegal organization’ by Diyarbakir 5th Heavy Penal Court.

Abdullah Ceger, the lawyer for Aydin, explains at the court: There was no incitement to violence in the speech made by my client. The court has convicted my client because of his speech which in fact spoke about basic human rights, and as such it would have been considered in any democratic country. There is no legal base to convict Mehmet Ali Aydin."