Our delegation consisting of Party Spokesperson Osman Baydemir, Parliamentary Group Deputy Filiz Kerestecioğlu, Adana Deputy Meral Danış Beştaş, İzmir Deputy Ertuğrul Kürkçü and Mardin Deputy Mithat Sincar was at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and made a press statement. Baydemir stated the following:
On behalf of 6 million voters, on behalf of the will of the people that have supported the HDP and sent Demirtaş and Yüksekdağ to parliament, we, once again, repeat out call. Justice delayed is justice denied. Demirtaş has been in prison for 237 days now, members of parliament are in prison, mayors are in prison - and the name for this is not fair judicial process, this can only be described as a purge targeting a particular political movement carried out by the government itself.
In Turkey, courts have become tools to suppress the opposition. AKP Chairperson Erdoğan issues the orders, and courts send secret documents to prosecutors. On the basis of these secret documents sent out by the Government, courts and prosecutors prepare summary reports/proceedings about our Co-Chairs and members of parliament. It is because of such reports, because of proceedings prepared by order that our friends are under arrest.
The document you see in my hand is proof of how the judiciary operates by order. We thus once again prove, in front of the ECHR, that domestic remedies in Turkey are unsuitable and blocked. We also present this document as corroborating evidence to the court.
The delay in judicial process, the delay in the ECHR's decision cause irreparable damage. Until now, Figen Yüksekdağ's membership of parliament has been annulled by order. Nursel Aydoğan’s membership of parliament has been annulled. Ferhat Encü and Besime Konca face the same risk, and this constitutes an irreversible set of circumstances.
Not only politicians, but also members of the press who are critical of the government, public officials, workers, unions, and in fact, all forces of democracy face a grave threat and attacks. People are discharged from their positions, their means of living are confiscated, they are condemned to hunger, while hunger strikers are arrested. It has now been 113 days since Nuriye and Semih have been on a hunger strike to be reinstated.
Today, it is not only our members of parliament who face oppression, it is the will of 6 million people. The political will of 6 million people has been imprisoned. The right to organize and the freedom of thought have been imprisoned. All the rights the ECHR sets out to protect are now under attack.
We invite the ECHR to announce its decision at once. We once again repeat our call for justice, here, in front of the ECHR and we declare, to the public in Europe, and the world, our determination to continue our march for justice that we have continued for almost 2 years. We have gathered today in front of the ECHR because the Constitutional Court in Turkey has not announced its decision, because domestic remedies in Turkey are not effective. A month ago, we made another, similar call before the court. Human rights, law and democracy can not be considered an internal matter of any country. Human rights, justice, freedom and equality are common values of humanity. Until our Co-Chairs and members of parliament are free, in other words, until justice is done, we will continue our march for justice, our march for equality and freedom. The ECHR must announce its decision without further delay.
29 June 2017