Turkish court sentences HDP lawmaker to 10 years for alleged PKK link

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – A Turkish court in southeastern Diyarbakir province sentenced a Kurdish lawmaker from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) to ten years for her alleged links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Remziye Tosun, 39, is a parliamentarian representing her hometown Diyarbakir. She is married and has four children.

Tosun, who did not attend the hearing herself, was found guilty of treating wounded PKK-affiliated fighters in Diyarbakir’s Sur district in 2015 after the collapse of a short-lived peace process between Ankara and the PKK. Some PKK-affiliated young fighters had taken control of Kurdish areas by digging trenches around them. Some were injured when Turkish forces retook the area.

The court ruled that Tosun is a “member of an armed terrorist organization,” reported the independent Bianet news outlet.

HDP condemned the ruling as a blow to democracy.

“The sentence given to Tosun is a blow to democratic politics and the will of people. You cannot prevent us from practicing democratic politics or our women’s struggle,” the party said in a tweet.

Tosun has the right to appeal the ruling. If that fails, the Ministry of Justice will send a copy of the final court decision to the parliament where her parliamentary immunity could be revoked.

Two other HDP lawmakers, Leyla Guven and Musa Farisogullari, and a member of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) were impeached in June after convictions in court. The HDP lawmakers were accused of having ties to the PKK while CHP’s Enis Berberoglu was accused of leaking state secrets.

Former HDP co-chairs Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag as well as many other party leaders are still behind bars after they were jailed in November 2016 for alleged links to the PKK.

The PKK is a Kurdish group that has waged an armed struggle against the Turkish state since 1984. The party seeks greater cultural and political rights for Kurds in Turkey. Clashes between the PKK and Turkish forces have caused the deaths of over 40,000 people from both sides, including civilians.

Turkish court sentences HDP lawmaker to 10 years for alleged PKK link

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