Demirtaş: 'If I were a racist, fascist gang leader, I wouldn't be standing trial'

Selahattin Demirtaş, the imprisoned former Co-Chairperson of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) appeared in court again yesterday (December 5).

Demirtaş stated in his defense in the 9th hearing of the trial, where 10 different cases related to the accusation of "insulting a public official" against officials, including the then Prime Minister Davutoğlu, between 2015-2017 were consolidated. "I am Kurdish, I am a Kurdish politician, and that is the reason for my trial," he said. 

Demirtaş has been in custody since November 4, 2016, and he has not been released despite the European Court of Human Rights finding a violation of his rights in relation to his detention.

In the trial held at the 14th Criminal Court of First Instance in Mersin, 25 lawyers participated to defend Demirtaş, who attended the hearing via the Audio and Video Information System (SEGBİS) from Edirne Prison.

"Deputy Minister of Interior of the period should be heard"

According to the report by Abidin Yağmur from Artı Gerçek, Lawyer Özgür Özbek stated:

"10 cases have been consolidated. This means that 10 prosecutors have been involved. While evidence in favor of the defendant should also be collected, there are only pieces of evidence against him. The speeches in question were made during the parliamentary term. Immunity and impunity for speeches made in the parliament also apply to those made outside the parliament."

The lawyer also stated that in the case related to the events in Cizre, Osman Baydemir was heard as a witness, but Meral Danış Beştaş was not. He said, "To understand what my client and the HDP did to stop the conflict and to comprehend what happened in Cizre, Meral Danış Beştaş and the Deputy Minister of Interior of that period should be heard."

"I am standing trial because I am Kurdish"

After the lawyers' defenses, Selahattin Demirtaş, in his statement, said:

"With this case, Articles 14 and 18 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) are being violated. I have been subjected to discrimination throughout the trial process because I am a Kurdish politician. The prosecutor who has an ideological and political standpoint and who  is trying to cover up the crimes of the state has said that the soldier and police officers were fighting against the trenches. And he claimed that I insulted them. Did any of those soldiers and police officers turn out to be coup plotters after July 15 [referring to the coup attempt in July 15, 2016]? Yes, they did. Did the prosecutor investigate them?"

"The prosecutor did not consider that I am a Member of Parliament, the president of an opposition party, a citizen, the political atmosphere of the time, those who gave instructions from the Parliament to the police and the military, saying 'leave no stone unturned,' the politicization of the judiciary, and the promotion of the judge who sentenced me, Canan Kaftancıoğlu, and Selçuk Kozağaçlı. He did not look at the 1.5 million tweets labeling me 'terrorist Demirtaş,'" he added. 

Showing photos depicting torture inflicted on dead bodies in different cities, Demirtaş stated, "Did the prosecutor investigate whether I fabricated these words or if I spoke based on a concrete incident? What needs protection is not those who carry out such meanness, but humanity," he addressed.

"Millions elected me to speak these truths"

Stating, "I am standing trial because I am Kurdish," Demirtaş continued:

"If I were a racist, fascist gang leader, they wouldn't be prosecuting me. Even if I were sentenced to a hundred thousand years, I would continue to say the same. I spoke too little during that period."

"Millions of people who voted for me elected me to speak these truths. Not speaking them would be disgraceful. Our demands are legitimate. A fair trial can take place only if the court eliminates the discrimination against me due to my ethnic and political identity."

Following Demirtaş's defense, the court panel rejected all the lawyers' requests and set the next hearing date for May 15, 2024.

The court decided to request the missing files, DVDs, and CDs, as well as the missing parliamentary records.  (EMK/PE)