Tuncer Bakırhan reacts to Selahattin Demirtaş verdict

Former Co-Chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Selahattin Demirtaş has been sentenced to prison in a trial where he was accused of insulting the president. At the final hearing held at the Mersin 14th Criminal Court of First Instance, it was announced that Demirtaş was found guilty due to speeches he had previously made at various meetings. Demirtaş, who is currently detained in the Edirne F-Type High-Security Prison for a separate case, did not attend the hearing and provided his defense through his lawyer.

The court sentenced Demirtaş for 'consecutive' offenses due to his statements at events held in both Mersin and Diyarbakır. Selahattin Demirtaş was sentenced to a total of 1 year, 5 months, and 15 days in prison.

DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan reacted to the ruling by making a post on social media following the verdict. In his statement, Bakırhan included the following remarks:

'We reject the prison sentence given to our dear fellow traveler Selahattin Demirtaş under the pretext of insulting the President; we do not recognize this decision.

Such judicial decisions create major obstacles on the path to building peace and strike a blow to the hope for peace by increasing injustices.

This putschist mentality must be stopped immediately, and dear Demirtaş and all political prisoners must be released immediately. The path to peace is not paved with putschist judicial decisions, but with freedoms and justice.'

News Source: 12punto