The European Court of Human Rights has ordered Turkey to release Demirtas unconditionally.
By: Robert Jones
Tags: European, Demirtaş, Human Rights, Turkey

According to Human Rights Watch, the European Court of Human Rights ordered Turkey to release Kurdish opposition leader SelahattinDemirtaş, who has been in Turkish government detention for more than three years. The European Court of Human Rights has called on the government of Erdogan to release the politician because his detention is contrary to “the fundamental principles of a democratic society”

Selahattin Demirtas, a former Democratic Party (HDP) official, has been incarcerated for over three years in Edirne prison in Turkey. On 4 November 2016, Demirtas and nine other parliamentary HDP members, who campaign for the political rights of Kurds and Kurds and other minorities in Turkey, were arrested on charges including the leadership of a terrorist group, the spread of terrorist propaganda and the incitement of violence against the Turkish government.

Demirtas was imprisoned by the Turkish government for failing to carry out his political objectives in Turkey and was stripped of his personal rights. The Grand Chamber said it had detained Demirtaş first and then purposefully extended the detention of the politician for more than four years.The interests of this politician and others seeking the rights of minorities living in Turkey have been abused by Turkey. Political discussion is central to the philosophy of a democratic society, according to the Chamber, but it is a crackdown and a breach of the basic rights and freedoms of lawmakers, and should be immediately published.

If convicted of heading a terrorist group and protesting against the government of President Erdogan in connection with the 2014 protests that killed more than 37 individuals, Demirtas faces up to 142 years in prison. His imprisonment is a danger to the people and to human rights, according to the Grand Chamber, which is counterproductive to democracy and human rights.According to the statement, the politician refuted all the accusations, most of which were made in south-eastern Turkey by Islamist rebels, who then overthrew the town of Kobani.

In November, in compliance with Article 19 of the Human Rights Organization (Human Rights Watch), they released a detailed history of the Demirtaş arrest case and the manner in which they managed to prosecute them for four years. Specifically, the statement said that if convicted on charges of terrorism, many sentences could be levied.

“The arrest of this politician is a covert operation aimed at curbing the large number of people who oppose the Turkish government’s harsh treatment of dissidents and restricting the freedom of political debate,” the statement said. The court also claimed in a statement that covering up a political motive, which was not the case, was the reason for the arrest. Democracy is undisputed and trampled upon.

Not only is the former leader of the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) imprisoned, but thousands of politicians, scholars, judges and civil servants have been detained across Turkey in recent years on charges of supporting one of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant groups and disagreeing with the government of Erdogan. Hundreds of individuals have also been arrested for allegedly working with US-based Fethullah Gülen, accused by Ankara of planning a coup in 2016.