HDP MPs Taşçıer, Baydemir, Yıldırım Taken by Force to Give Testimony

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Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Group Vice Chair Ahmet Yıldırım and Urfa MP Osman Baydemir were detained today (January 25) in accordance with a warrant of taking by force in Diyarbakır Courthouse where they went to watch trial.

Same action was taken against HDP Diyarbakır MP İmam Taşçıer a few hours before that.

CLICK-HDP MP ADIYAMAN TAKEN FROM HIS HOME BY FORCE

A probe was launched by Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office into Taşçıer on charges of “overtly insulting government of Republic of Turkey”, “defaming President”, and “defaming a civil servant based on his/her duty”. Today, the prosecutor’s office issued a warrant to take them by force. In line with the warrant, Taşçıer was detained as he left his home and brought to Diyarbakır Courthouse.

HDP Iğdır MP Mehmet Emin Adıyaman as well was taken to prosecutor’s office by police in accordance with the warrant of taking by force this morning.

11 of 59 HDP MPs arrested

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.

Pir, Taşçıer and Önder were released on probation.

Yüksekdağ, Demirtaş, Baluken, Birlik, Irmak, Aydoğan, Yıldırım, Zeydan and Encü were arrested on the same day.

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.

With the release of Birlik, the number of arrested HDP MPs has dropped to 11. (AS/TK)