ANKARA - The Kobanê Political Genocide Trial started with the defense of lawyers in its 8th session. Kazım Bayraktar, one of the defense lawyers, said: ‘’This trial is an unofficial case, this indictment is also an illegitimate indictment. Judicial units must fulfill the judicial decisions first and foremost.’’

 

The Kobanê Political Genocide Case, in which 108 people, 24 of whom were imprisoned, including the former Co-Chairs of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Figen Yüksekdağ and Selahattin Demirtaş and the former Co-Chair of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Sebahat Tuncel, are on trial. The 8th session of the 3rd hearing started at the Ankara 22nd High Criminal Court.

HDP MPs, HDP provincial and district organization representatives, as well as many viewers, lawyers and journalists attended the hearing held in the Sincan Prison Campus Hall.

 

Figen Yüksekdağ at SEGBİS

 

HDP former Co-Chair Figen Yüksekdağ, former Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Co-Mayor Gültan Kışanak, who was replaced by a trustee, former DBP Co-Chair Emine Ayna, HDP former Central Executive Board (MYK) member Zeynep Ölbeci from prisons where they are held, and HDP former MYK members Berfin Özgü Köse, Can Memiş and Cihan Erdal, who were released in the previous sessions, were also connected to the hearing from Istanbul via Sound and Video Information System (SEGBİS).

 

Selahattin Demirtaş was excluded from hearing

 

HDP former MP Gülser Yıldırım, Aysel Tuğluk, and İmralı Delegation member Sırrı Süreyya Önder, Ahmet Türk, Gülfer Akkaya and Altan Tan, who were on trial without arrest, did not attend the hearing by making excuses. As former HDP Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş was preparing for his defense and Kars Municipality Co-Mayor Ayhan Bilgen, who was replaced by a trustee, did not attend because he was excluded from hearing due to health problems.

 

17 politicians in the courtroom

 

Former DBP Co-Chair Sebahat Tuncel, Free Women’s Movement (TJA) activist Ayla Akat Ata, HDP former spokesperson Günay Kubilay, HDP Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) member Ali Ürküt, HDP former MPs Emine Beyza Üstün, İbrahim Binici, HDP Foreign Relations Commission member Nazmi Gür, HDP new term MYK member Alp Altınörs, Meryem Adıbelli, HDP former compter Zeki Çelik, Kurdish Pen member writer Nezir Çakan, HDP former MYK members Pervin Oduncu, Ayşe Yağcı, Bircan Yorulmaz, Bülent Parmaksız, İsmail Şengül, Dilek Yağ and Sibel Akdeniz were present in the courtroom.

 

The hearing, which started with identification, continued with the defense of Kazım Bayraktar, the lawyer of HDP MYK member Alp Altınörs.

 

‘Mafia gangs deployed within the state’

 

Kazım said that all state institutions, down to the smallest unit of the security apparatus, are connected to the palace and to a single person, and continued: ‘’Recently, it has become very clear that the ‘ECHR does not bind us’ statement emerged when federations made up of mafia gangs are also deployed within the state. They are being tried in this case with the policy of the ‘ECHR does not bind us’ and their detention still continues. If we look at Alp Altınörs in particular, the decision of the ECHR grand chamber is a decision regarding the causal link of all the charges in this file. The tweet does not go beyond the act of protesting and calling for action against a massacre. This trial is an unofficial case, this indictment is also an illegitimate indictment. Judicial units must fulfill judicial decisions first and foremost.’’

 

The trial continues with the defense of the lawyers.