Selahattin Demirtaş, sentenced to prison in the Kobani trial, announces: 'Everyone should be ready for this!'

Verdicts have been announced in the Kobani trial, which involved 108 defendants, including former HDP co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ. Mardin Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ahmet Türk was sentenced to 10 years in prison for membership in an armed terrorist organization. Demirtaş was sentenced to 43 years and 8 months, while Yüksekdağ received 30 years and 3 months in prison.

Selahattin Demirtaş evaluated the verdict handed down against him.

Responding to questions from Murat Sabuncu of T24, Demirtaş said, "If heavy sentences are being handed down to us, it means that the 'softening' and 'normalization' do not include the Kurds and their friends."

Demirtaş's statements are as follows:

'NO ONE SHOULD WORRY, OUR HEADS WILL NOT BOW'

In the final part of your defense in the Kobani trial, you said:

“I will not give you the opportunity to read the verdict to my face. You will read the verdict to yourselves. It is my testament to my wife, my family, my daughters, and all my people: When the verdict is announced, you must welcome it with dances, enthusiasm, and ululations. Because that is how we will welcome it here. We would rather die than compromise on this and live without honor.”

How did you hear the verdict, and how did you receive it?

"The verdict announced by the court had been decided by the government and its partners years ago and was announced repeatedly at rally squares. The heavy penal court panel merely fulfilled a formal duty and read out the decision made by politics.

We watched the verdict on television in our cell. It was not a surprise for me or for Selçuk Hoca. We were already anticipating it; we were prepared in every aspect. We welcomed it with strength and high morale.

While we resist with all our might for the people, we also draw our morale from our people. No one should worry; our heads will not bow, our knees will not buckle. Just as our people stand tall and honorable, we will be worthy of them and we will never let our people down."

"IT HAS BEEN PROVEN ONCE AGAIN THAT THIS IS A POLITICAL TRIAL"

From the moment the indictment was first issued, many legal experts have stated that this is not a legal but a political trial. However, in the end, you were sentenced to a total of over 42 years for crimes including aiding in the disruption of the unity and integrity of the state (20 years), inciting to commit a crime (4 years and 6 months), your Newroz speech (2 years and 6 months), encouraging the public to disobey laws (1 year and 6 months), and other allegations. What is your comment?

"All of the sentences were given because of one tweet and a few rally speeches of mine. In other words, they are based on perceptions they have created for years with lies and slander. I was not sentenced for any act of violence, nor for encouraging or supporting violence. I was sentenced to 42 years just for my thoughts and what I said. This has proven once again that this is a political trial and the sentences are politically motivated."

"WE DID NOT HURT EVEN AN ANT, THE STATE AND THE COURT KNOW THIS VERY WELL"

The most important claim of the trial was that ‘people were killed.’ You were accused of responsibility for the deaths, both legally and politically. All defendants were acquitted regarding this issue. How do you evaluate this?

"Of course, we did not hurt even an ant, let alone kill or injure a person. The state, the government, and the court panel know this very well. However, for years, they labeled us as 'murderers' and 'terrorists,' using this to both create polarization and use it as election material, while also hiding and protecting the real perpetrators of the people massacred on October 6-8. It is understood from this that the perpetrators of most of the deaths were somehow connected to the state, so they protected them and targeted us.

There was zero evidence in the file anyway; those who accused us of murder knew this too, but they managed to deceive a segment of the public by clearly lying.

I want to state again that the entire 42-year sentence was given because of my speeches, all of which had been determined to be within the scope of freedom of expression in the rulings of the European Court of Human Rights. In other words, if the European Court of Human Rights ruling had been implemented, this trial should have resulted in an acquittal. I have no doubt that one day, we will all be acquitted."

"THE DANGER OF TRUSTEES IS UNFORTUNATELY PRESENT"

Ahmet Türk, the Co-Mayor of Mardin Metropolitan Municipality, was also sentenced to 10 years in prison. Is this also a signal for a new trustee appointment?

"I am very sad for all my friends who were sentenced, especially Mr. Ahmet Türk. All the sentences given to our friends are unlawful and are sentences of political revenge. Of course, they can use these sentences as a pretext to appoint trustees. I hope that does not happen, but the danger is unfortunately present."

"I HAVE LEFT ACTIVE POLITICS, PERHAPS I WILL START WRITING A REGULAR COLUMN"

Demirtaş, who previously announced that he had left active politics, said that he could write a regular column.

Demirtaş spoke as follows;

"Along with all this, I must also state the following; I will not be involved in daily politics, but of course, I can write articles. Perhaps I will start writing a regular column; I have not decided yet. However, it is clear that what I say and what I write does not bind the DEM Party, and no one should perceive it that way. I am not an administrator, representative, spokesperson, or even a member of the DEM Party. The DEM Party is of course our party, and the party management conducts politics, and will continue to do so. I can only share my personal views. And let me be clear again, I will not hesitate to clearly criticize anyone, whoever they may be, who makes mistakes in politics and does not take the people as their basis. Everyone should be ready for this from now on."

News Source: 12punto