Court arrests HDP MP on terror charges

DİYARBAKIR

DHA photo

Prominent Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) deputy Meral Danış Beştaş was arrested on Jan. 31 as part of a terror probe launched in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.

Beştaş, a deputy for Adana, was arrested for “being a member of an armed terrorist organization.”

Beştaş was detained on Jan. 28 as part of a terror probe by the Diyarbakır Prosecutor’s Office but was released on probation.        

After the public prosecutor objected to the release, police again detained Beştaş on Jan. 31 along with Ayhan Bilgen, who was also detained for a second time.

Some 13 HDP lawmakers were detained in November 2016, and 10 of them, including co-leaders Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, were arrested pending trial on terrorism-related charges.        

The lawmakers face prosecution under anti-terrorism legislation after their parliamentary immunity was lifted.