The Europe-wide "Deputies for Deputies" Campaign, which was formed in protest of the lifting of the legislative immunity of 55 parliamentarians of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), is growing day by day with the participation of parliamentarians from national and autonomous parliaments.
So far 382 parliamentarians from the European Parliament and the national and regional parliaments in France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Italy, England, Scotland, Belgium and Austria have actively taken part in the campaign of solidarity with HDP parliamentarians.
Participants of the campaign are regularly updated about developments in Turkey. By communicating the unlawful practices targeting HDP parliamentarians to governments, parliaments, political parties, the media, and civil society in their own countries, campaign participants are working to increase public and political awareness about the persecution of HDP parliamentarians and politicians.
Campaign participants have been forming delegations to visit HDP’s co-chairs and parliamentarians in prison. Although the Ministry of Justice has persistently refused to permit prison visits, campaign participants are determined to continue to come to Turkey in the near future for prison visits.
As long as HDP co-chairs and parliamentarians remain imprisoned, it is expected that many more parliamentarians will join the campaign and expand the solidarity network with the HDP.
22 December 2016