HDP MP Beştaş: Criminal Execution Bill Against Principle of Equality Before Law

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The new regulations on criminal execution are against the principle of equality before the law, according to Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Parliamentary Group Deputy Chair Meral Danış-Beştaş.

A draft bill aimed at reducing the prison population amid the coronavirus pandemic was submitted to the parliament yesterday (March 31). Terrorism-related offenses, for which many journalists and right defenders are behind bars, are not included in the proposal.

CLICK - Sentence Reduction Bill Submitted to Parliament

"The proposal of the regulation on criminal execution does not comply with the principle of equality before the law. It means the massacre of law," she said at a press briefing at the parliament.

"There is nothing acceptable about the execution proposal. The execution package is committing a massacre. Because everybody inside [prisons] might get infected at any moment.

"Around 300 thousand people in prisons should not be left to die. There should be equality in criminal execution. We cannot accept such discrimination in the period of the outbreak. If this proposal passes in this environment of chaos, we don't recognize it. I would like to express that we see the government responsible for this."

"People are forced to choose between dying of corona and dying of starvation"

Danış-Beştaş also asserted that the government has not been announcing the real number of Covid-19 cases to the public.

"Had [Covid-19] not been declared a pandemic, maybe cases wouldn't be announced in Turkey," she said, adding that "We know that the real number of the cases are not announced to the public. This period is not transparent in any way."

"At this stage, the state should protect the people. However, the people are expected to protect the state," Danış-Beştaş said, referring to a donation campaign launched by President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

"Despite the calls for staying at home and warnings, the government says, 'Production must continue.' Why will the production continue? For capital owners, businesspeople, large holdings, monopolies not making losses. What will people do? They are forced to choose between dying of corona and dying of starvation." (DB/VK)