HDP MP Behçet Yıldırım Taken Into Custody

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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Adıyaman MP Behçet Yıldırım has been taken into custody.

According to the report of Di Haber (Dicle News Agency), Yıldırım was taken into custody and brought to the police station from Adıyaman Airport where he went for his flight to Ankara.

Adıyaman Public Chief Prosecutor's Office had drafted indictments under six different cases against Yıldırım. Warrant was issued to take Yıldırım forcibly to hearing as he did not appear before court for his hearing on February 17.

Yıldırım is being charged with "being a member of an [illegal] organization", "propagandizing for an [illegal] organization", "insulting state institutions" and "opposing to the Law on meetings and demonstrations".

12 of 59 HDP MPs remain behind bars

HDP Co-Chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, Şırnak MPs Ferhat Encü, Leyla Birlik, Hakkari MPs Selma Irmak, Abdullah Zeydan, Diyarbakır MPs İdris Baluken, Nursel Aydoğan, Ziya Pir, İmam Taşçıer, Ankara MP Sırrı Süreyya Önder and Mardin MP Gülser Yıldırım were taken into custody on November 4. Yüksekdağ, Demirtaş, Baluken, Birlik, Irmak, Aydoğan, Yıldırım, Zeydan and Encü were arrested on the same day.

Pir, Taşçıer and Önder were later released on probation.

HDP Hakkari MP Akdoğan was arrested on November 7.

HDP Group Deputy Chair Çağlar Demirel and HDP Siirt MP Besime Konca were arrested on December 13, which increased the number of arrested HDP MPs to 12.

HDP İstanbul MP Filiz Kerestecioğlu and HDP Muş MP Ahmet Yıldırım were replaced for the arrested group deputy chairs.

Şırnak MP Leyla Birlik was released on January 4, 2017.

Baluken was discharged on January 30, 2017.

First released on probation after getting arrested, Adana MP Meral Danış Beştaş was taken into custody and arrested again on January 30, 2017 upon opposition by the Prosecutor's office.

Ayhan Bilgen was arrested on January 31.

Ferhat Encü was arrested on November 4, 2016, released on February 15, 2017 and arrested again on February 17. With Encü's arrest, 12 HDP MPs remain behind bars. (YY/DG)