Reasoning for the verdict against Demirtaş and Yüksekdağ in the Kobani case announced 13 months later

Exactly 13 months after the verdict in the case concerning the Kobani protests was finalized, the Ankara 22nd High Criminal Court has published its 32,630-page reasoned decision. In the trial, which concluded on May 16 of last year, 12 of the defendants were acquitted, while Selahattin Demirtaş was sentenced to 42 years and Figen Yüksekdağ to 30 years and 3 months in prison. Other defendants were also given various prison sentences. Additionally, the files of 72 fugitive defendants were separated from the main case.

The reasoned decision stated that the convicted individuals were not held directly responsible for the acts of violence that occurred during the social unrest on October 6-8, 2014. However, it noted that in a holistic review of the file, the defendants who attended the HDP Central Executive Board meeting on October 6, 2014, and who, in line with the decision taken after that meeting, encouraged the public to engage in illegal actions and demonstrations, were punished under the Turkish Penal Code for "incitement to commit a crime" and "aiding in the crime of disrupting the unity and integrity of the state."

The court emphasized that in light of these justifications, it decided to convict the defendants of the relevant crimes, and that the details of the decision took into account elements of support for a terrorist organization. Thus, the written reasoning for the judicial process in the Kobani case, which was closely followed by the public, has now been shared.

News Source: 12punto