Trial against Mustafa Çelik opens in Hamburg

The seriously ill Kurdish activist from Bremen is accused of "membership of a terrorist organization".

The lawsuit against Mustafa Çelik has started before the Hamburg Higher Regional Court.

The seriously ill Kurdish activist from Bremen is accused of "membership of a terrorist organization". The 43-year-old suffers from several chronic illnesses and has been in custody in Bremen and now in Hamburg.

His defense lawyers Heinz Schmitt and Tuncay Karaman requested a medical review of the defendant as Çelik suffers from permanent insomnia and insufficient medical care in detention. This request was granted, but the prosecution read the indictment.

The prosecutor claimed that Çelik was a PKK member and requested that he be punished. The prosecution also showed participation in democratic actions as evidence of crime.

The trial continues today.