Tent goes up in front of BDP building for jailed deputies
Tent goes up in front of BDP building for jailed deputies
People flock to the BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) building today after learning that the deputies currently in prison could have been released today.
After the 12 June general elections Labor, Democracy and Freedom Block deputies, Hatip Dicle, Kemal Aktaþ, Ýbrahim Ayhan, Faysal Sarýyýldýz, Gülser Yýldýrým and Selma Irmak are still in prison despite having been elected. The courts are examining the lawyers' request to free the new deputies. Decision is expected at any time this week.
The BDP has decided to put up a tent in front of the main building in Diyarbakýr so that people could come together and wait for the news to come.
In Mardin today people in their hundreds flock to the prison waiting for the two deputies detained there, Faysal Sarýyýldýz and Gülseren Yýldýrým to be released.
All of the jailed deputies have been arrested in the context of the so called KCK trial.
BACKGROUND TO THE KCK TRIAL
In a series of police operations beginning on 14 April 2009 and referred to in the press as the ‘KCK operations’, 151 people were detained on the basis of alleged links to illegal organizations. These people included lawyers, mayors, politicians, trade unionists, and human rights activists, and were recently brought to trial together in Diyarbakir, Turkey.
As the KCK is alleged to be the civil/political wing of the outlawed group and is, therefore, also an illegal organization. Members of the pro- Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) have been accused of being members of these illegal organizations. Only 15 days after the party’s significant gain in the March 2009 local elections, where it won 50 municipalities, mass raids were carried out at the homes, businesses and offices of mayors, party activists, human rights advisors, lawyers and many others, pursuant to the KCK operations.
After the 12 June general elections Labor, Democracy and Freedom Block deputies, Hatip Dicle, Kemal Aktaþ, Ýbrahim Ayhan, Faysal Sarýyýldýz, Gülser Yýldýrým and Selma Irmak are still in prison despite having been elected. The courts are examining the lawyers' request to free the new deputies. Decision is expected at any time this week.
The BDP has decided to put up a tent in front of the main building in Diyarbakýr so that people could come together and wait for the news to come.
In Mardin today people in their hundreds flock to the prison waiting for the two deputies detained there, Faysal Sarýyýldýz and Gülseren Yýldýrým to be released.
All of the jailed deputies have been arrested in the context of the so called KCK trial.
BACKGROUND TO THE KCK TRIAL
In a series of police operations beginning on 14 April 2009 and referred to in the press as the ‘KCK operations’, 151 people were detained on the basis of alleged links to illegal organizations. These people included lawyers, mayors, politicians, trade unionists, and human rights activists, and were recently brought to trial together in Diyarbakir, Turkey.
As the KCK is alleged to be the civil/political wing of the outlawed group and is, therefore, also an illegal organization. Members of the pro- Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) have been accused of being members of these illegal organizations. Only 15 days after the party’s significant gain in the March 2009 local elections, where it won 50 municipalities, mass raids were carried out at the homes, businesses and offices of mayors, party activists, human rights advisors, lawyers and many others, pursuant to the KCK operations.
