Şanlıurfa court sentences HDP deputy Dilek Öcalan to two years, six months in prison

ŞANLIURFA

A court has sentenced Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) deputy Dilek Öcalan to two years and six months in prison on charges of making “terror propaganda.” 

Öcalan was not present at the March 2 sentencing, though her lawyer, Sevda Çelik Bingöl, was there instead.

At the court, Bingöl reportedly requested a Kurdish translation of the text included in the case to be translated again but her request was rejected.

The HDP deputy, who is the niece of Abdullah Öcalan, the jailed founder of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), had been charged with “engaging in terror propaganda,” with the prosecutor in the case demanding a prison sentence of up to five years.

The charge was based on her alleged attendance in the funeral of Mehmet Yılmaz, a PKK militant, in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa’s Viranşehir district on Feb. 23, 2016.

The Şanlıurfa 5th High Criminal Court had later issued an arrest warrant for Öcalan and she was detained at Atatürk Airport on Feb. 7.

She was released pending trial on the same day after the Bakırköy 1st High Criminal Court ordered her release.

In 2016, the legislative immunity of lawmakers was lifted through the joint votes of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

Following the vote, almost all HDP deputies faced summaries of proceedings on 100 different accusations, while seven lawmakers are currently in prison including former HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş.