Before the hearing of Peoples' Democratic Party former Co-Chair Figen Yüksekdağ's next trial which will be held on Tuesday in Ankara 16th Heavy Penal Court the lawyers of the imprisoned woman politican held a press conference in Ankara. 

 

Sezin Uçar, one of the lawyers of Yüksekdağ said, "All the trials opened against the elected politicians of HDP, especially Yüksekdağ, mainly target the political freedoms. Our client is also on trial due to her political activities."

 

'TWO DIFFERENT PRISON SENTENCES'

 

Reminding that her client Yüksekdağ has been imprisoned in Kandıra No.1 Type F High Security Prison since November 2016 lawyer Ezgi Güngördü said: 

"Yüksekdağ was arrested on November 4, 2016 by the decision of the Diyarbakır 2nd Magistrate's Court and was arrested the second time on September 20, 2019 by the decision of Ankara 1st Magistrate's Court within the scope of the investigation file numbered 2014/146757 of the Ankara Public Prosecutor's Office. Following the lift of her parliamentary immunity, she was also stripped of her parliamentary seat as well as her status of party chair and membership in violation of the Constitution, parliamentary laws and international legislation."

 

'SAME DETERMINATION TO DEFEND HER POLITICAL ACTIVITIES'

 

Güngördü noted that there are more than 40 investigation reports filed for Yüksekdağ and she has currently 4 trials opened against her. "The grounds of the trials have been listed as her speeches she made at the opening of the provincial / district party buildings or in rallies as well as her statements in the interviews with the journalists which are all related to her political activities as a HDP Co-Chair," said Güngördü adding that, "In other words, all the accusations attributed to our client consisted of the speeches she made during the event and political activities she attended as an MP and a Co-Chair. Our client Yüksekdağ defends in the courts all her political activities when she was the HDP Co-Chair with the same determination and legitimacy."

 

'CHARGED TWICE ON THE SAME GROUND'

 

Güngördü shared the information that due to the confidentiality order they do not have adequate information regarding the details of Yüksekdağ's file and said, "Our client Yüksekdağ is the only politician who has been put on trial twice for the same charge and furthermore, she has been given two seperate arrest warrants for the same charge. We have appealed based on the principle of 'Non bis in idem' which is a legal doctrine to the effect that no legal action can be instituted twice for the same cause of action, but all our appeals have been rejected based on prefabricated grounds."

 

YÜKSEKDAĞ IS IN GOOD HEALTH AND MORALE

 

Expressing that the family and lawyer visits of Yüksekdağ have been restricted as part of the COVID-19 measures Güngördü said, “With a decision dated September 2019, books and periodical journals can only be sent to prison on special days such as birthdays and holidays. Letters and faxes sent from prison are arbitrarily censored, and even the smallest incident is subjected to disciplinary action. Figen Yüksekdağ is in good health and morale as usual."

 

'STRUGGLE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE PRISONS'

 

HDP Diyarbakır MP Semra Güzel also spoke in the press conference and especially emphasized the attacks of the government to the woman politicians. Güzel highlighted the following message in her speech, "The government imposes its lawlessness under the name of law. They also turned the law on execution of sentences into an opportunity, which they have justified by the pandemic to keep many politicians locked up and release those who committed femicides. While they have to fight the violence against women, they fight with the women. AKP carries out its power through hostility towards women. As a part of this today, Figen Yüksekdağ, Gültan Kışanak, Sebahat Tuncel and many women in politics are kept in prisons as hostages because they have raised the women's struggle. We have been carrying out this struggle for years and we will continue to carry this struggle from now on. Thousands of women in prisons such as Figen Yüksekdağ, Gültan Kışanak and Sebahat Tuncel raise this struggle inside the prisons and we will raise this struggle outside wherever we are."