The third session of the 4th hearing of the Kobanê Case, where 108 people, 20 of whom are currently behind bars, including the executives of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), was held at the Sincan Prison Campus today.

 

The "Kobanê trial" against 108 defendants has continued in Ankara. The subject of the trial is the protests in Turkey at the time of the ISIS attack on Kobanê in October 2014. The defendants include the entire executive board of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) at the time, including the former co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ. Twenty of the defendants are in prison. The 108 defendants of the case heard by Ankara 22nd High Criminal Court are tried on 29 different charges and a total of 19 thousand 680 years of prison sentence is requested for the defendants. 

 

HEARING CAN NOT CONTINUE DUE TO COVID RESTRICTIONS

 

Lawyers of Kars Mayor Ayhan Bilgen, Kenan Maçoğlu and Maviş Aydın, and other lawyers of the defendants underlined that the hearing was postponed for two days because the judge contacted a person who has Covid- 19 and his test also came positive and demanded the hearing to be postponed until November 8-9 because everyone in the hall are now in danger of contracting the virus. The defendants of the case reiterated the request of their lawyers.

 

CONTINUATION OF DETENTION

 

The prosecutor expressed his opinion and told that the defendants are at flight risk and demanded the continuation of detention.

 

Reminding that the fact that not everyone has made their defences does not matter in terms of Criminal Procedure Code (CMK) and all defendants should be released. Maçoğlu said: "This is a conspiracy case and we will present very detailed documents and statements proving it is a conspiracy case. The members of the Central Executive Board did not flee, knowing they will be arrested. Considering al this, we request that all defendants are released.

 

GÜR: IMPLEMENT THE ECtHR DECISION

 

Politicians spoke about the detention situation. Nazmi Gür, who took the floor first said: "We are very sorry to hear that the judge has Covid-19. But considering this fact we want the hearing to be postponed. The decision of the ECtHR was discussed in the Committee of Ministers. ECtHR gave Turkey time until 30 September regarding this case. A similar situation arose in the case of Azerbaijan Mamadov. As someone who has been a deputy for two years, I can say that this case will cause serious political problems that will hurt Turkey's national honor. Turkey faces sanctions. I request your court to immediately implement the Demirtaş ECtHR decision in order to protect Turkey from economic and political sanctions in the future, and to do so as soon as possible. I demand that we all be released and discontinuance." 

 

'ECtHR SAYS OUR CALL WAS NOT A CRIME'

 

Stating that she was also a member of the Central Executive Board back then, Günay Kubilay said: "I am a HDP CEB member. I am one of the members who made a call back that day. This is the only evidence against me in this huge file. And the ECtHR said this call did not involve violence. The fact that this decision is not recognized by your court is not a legal decision but a political decision.There is solid evidence. It is stated in Article 26 of the Constitution that the call does not contain violence. There is nothing to violate freedom of expression. Eliminate this double standard instead of violating the constitution further. I demand all to be released."

 

'ECtHR CONFIRMED OUR INNOCENCE'

 

HDP CEB member Alp Altınörs reminded that he has been in prison for a year now and said: "This is a stillborn case from the start. The ECtHR confirmed our innocence and said the call we made did not involve a call to violence. Yet you keep prosecuting us. It is a legally stillborn and a politically obsolete case. This is a political decision. The Committee of Ministers of the European Council addressed your court by name. Implement the ECtHR decision. We have never fleed anywhere nor we consider to do so. I am perfectly sure that we will be acquitted in the end. It happens with all political cases. We demand our release."

 

The hearing continues with the statements of imprisoned politicians.