Armenian News - Tert.am
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11:01 May 17, 2024
A Turkish court on Thursday sentenced Selahattin Demirtas, the former leader of the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party, or HDP, to 42 years in prison for his alleged role in deadly protests in 2014 that were triggered by an Islamic State attack on the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobani. Another leading pro-Kurdish politician, Figen Yuksekdag, was sentenced to just over 30 years. Many other senior HDP figures were convicted among a total of 108 defendants charged with 29 offenses, including murder and harming the unity of the Turkish state. At least 10 other defendants were acquitted of the charges against them. The politicians are expected to appeal the verdicts. As the chief judge began to read the verdict, defense lawyers and observers in the courtroom at a prison complex on the outskirts of the capital Ankara banged on tables and chanted in Kurdish, "Long live the resistance of the HDP" and "Long live the resistance of Kobani." Demirtas has been in jail since November 2016 on terrorism-related charges. He re...