Thirty people were released late Monday following the second hearing of the KCK (Kurdish Communities Union) Mersin case at Adana 10th High Criminal Court.

Forty two people who have been tried in the so-called KCK case were arrested late September in Mersin last year on the grounds of alleged “membership and leadership of the KCK (Kurdish Communities Union) organization”. 30 were under arrest since the operation which targeted executives and members of the BDP (Peace and Democracy Party), DTK (Democratic Society Congress), MKM (Mesopotamia Cultutal Center), IHD (Human Rights Association) and women’s associations Ishtar Counseling Center for Women’s Solidarity, affiliated to BDP's (Peace and Democracy Party) Akdeniz Municipality, and Kibele Women's Association.

Among those released are DIHA (Dicle News Agency) reporter Ferhat Arslan, executives and members of BDP Mersin organization, IHD (Human Rights Association) Mersin Branch Chair Ali Tanrıverdi, Ishtar Coordinator Gülhan Yağ and Press Counsellor Roza Yaruk, KURDÎ-DER Branch Chair Selahattin Çam.

The court board ruled suspects a ban on leaving the country and adjourned the hearing to 3 July.

On the other hand, eight people tried in the KCK case in Ağrı were also released yesterday following the hearing at Erzurum 4th High Criminal Court. Eight out of 21 Kurdish politicians tried in the case were under arrest since the KCK operation which was carried out in Ağrı's Doğubeyazıt district on 29 May 2012. Among those released are members and executives of BDP, DTK and TUYAD-DER.

The hearing was adjourned to 13 May.