Swedish Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Kenneth G. Forslund and Social Democratic Party Secretary General Lena Baastad released a statement regarding the imprisonment of top officials from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in Turkey.

Forslund and Baastad described the arrests of their sister party HDP's foremost representatives Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ as another step towards a more authoritarian ruling in Turkey.

Forslund and Baastad underlined that democracy and security can only be defended and maintained with respect for human rights and political freedoms, for which reason -they said- they have followed with great concern the arrests and mass dismissals that hit opposition representatives, teachers, civil servants and journalists.

The statement stressed that: "We expect respect for international conventions is maintained and that the rule of law is restored. The ongoing armed conflict which affects particularly the Kurdish civilian population must cease and the peace process must be revived. We take sides with the HDP and the entire democratic Turkey for the whole population's democratic rights and freedoms, equality and a just peace."