News / Turkey

Turkish court sentences former pro-Kurdish MP to over six years in jail

Sunday, 17 January 2021 3:45 PM [ Last Update: Sunday, 17 January 2021 3:45 PM ]

Ferhat Encu, a former Turkish lawmaker from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) (photo via Twitter)

A Turkish court has sentenced a former lawmaker from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), who was stripped of his parliamentary status in early 2018, to more than six years in jail on charges of hatred incitement and spreading propaganda for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant group.

On Sunday, the 21st Heavy Penal Court in Ankara found that the defendant, Ferhat Encu, shared pro-PKK posts on his social media accounts, called for an uprising against the government, and worked to split up a portion of the Turkish territory. He was sentenced to six years, nine months and seven days in jail.

“It has been established that he included the symbols of the terrorist group, called the anti-terror operations barbarism, praised the terrorist acts of the PKK based on violence and threats,” the court said in the verdict.

Turkish parliament strips status of two pro-Kurdish lawmakers, one MP from main opposition party

The Turkish parliament strips two pro-Kurdish lawmakers and one MP from the main opposition party of their parliamentary status.

The Turkish government has long accused the HDP of having links to the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist group by Turkey, the US as well as the EU, and has been calling for an autonomous Kurdish region since 1984.

Back on December 21 last year, a court in Turkey’s southeastern Kurdish city of Diyarbakir sentenced a former member of parliament from the HDP to more than 22 years in prison on terror-related charges.

The court also issued an arrest warrant against 55-year-old Leyla Guven.

Turkey gives 22-year jail term to Kurdish female politician

Leyla Guven, an opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) deputy, was not present at her hearing.

The prosecutor in the case charged Guven with “establishing and managing an illegal organization” of which she was also a member in support of PKK militants, among 18 separate charges.

Other charges included “provoking the public to join illegal meetings and demonstrations,” and taking part in “illegal” marches, which she purportedly refused to disband despite warnings.

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