He recalled those words of Erdoğan: Özgür Özel's commentary on trustees

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel visited former mayor Tunç Soyer, CHP İzmir Provincial Chairman Şenol Aslanoğlu, and other CHP figures who were arrested as part of the investigation conducted into the İzmir Metropolitan Municipality in prison. Making statements to the press after the meeting, Özel conveyed that the party members were in high spirits and sent messages of solidarity.

"THEY ARE PLEASED WITH THE SOLIDARITY"

Evaluating the visit, Özgür Özel said, "They conveyed that they are pleased with the solidarity shown by İzmir, the party standing by them, and that we have all stood by them without hesitation from the very first moment."

"WHILE ARREST SHOULD BE AN EXCEPTION, IT HAS BECOME THE RULE"

Özel gave a striking response to a journalist's question, "How do you evaluate the normalization of arrests?" Drawing attention to the universal principles of law, Özel reminded that arrests should be a last resort:

"Arrest is an exception in law and is a last resort. But here, it has become the first method applied, the first method preferred. While our very valuable professors teach young lawyers in class that 'it is better for 99 guilty people to walk free than for one innocent person to be imprisoned,' today these teachings are being ignored. The presumption of innocence is being disregarded. One cannot believe it."

RESPONSE TO ERDOĞAN

Recalling the words of President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, "Trustees and arrests will be the exception," Özel also criticized this approach:

"Mr. Erdoğan recently said, 'Arrests will be the exception.' This is already an exception. You are the ones who have made this the rule. You are conducting a frenzied political struggle through judicial apparatuses. Political calculations have replaced law and justice."

Despite his criticisms regarding the arrests, Özel stated that he found it positive that the İzmir Chief Public Prosecutor's Office prepared the indictment in a short time. Pointing out that defendants in many cities in Turkey wait months for an indictment, Özel said the following:

"It is valuable that the indictment in İzmir was written in a short time. Now, the preparation of the preliminary report and the setting of the hearing date are awaited. We hope that this process continues with our friends being tried without arrest."

News Source: 12punto