Arrested HDP MP Bilgen To Be Released Pending Trial

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The court has decided to release Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Kars MP Ayhan Bilgen pending trial.

Ayhan, who has been behind bars since January 31, 2017, is to stand trial before the Diyarbakır 5th Heavy Criminal Court. He is being charged with "being a member of a terrorist organization" in the trial regarding the Kobanê protests from October 6-8, 2014.

Atiye Arıkan, one of Bilgen's attorneys, speaking to bianet, said that the board of judges reevaluated Bilgen's detention on remand and decided to release him pending trial.

Does the decision set a precedent for other MPs?

Attorney Arıkan stated that Meral Danış Beştaş, Hüda Kaya, Altan Tan, Figen Yüksekdağ and Selahattin Demirtaş were also being charged with being a member of a terrorist organization and were standing trial separately but as a part of the same case of Kobanê protests from October 6-8, 2014.

To the question of whether the release decision would establish a precedent for the cases of the other (former) HDP MPs, Arıkan said:

"Meral Danış Beştaş was released in April. Although we have presented her release decision as a precedent countless times, we couldn't manage to get Ayhan Bilgen released. Bilgen had his first hearing last month and the court decided to maintain his detention on remand despite the precedent.

"Actually, this decision taken by Diyarbakır 5th Heavy Criminal Court constitutes a directly binding situation for the other MPs directly as well".

Arıkan also informed that the release decision had not yet been served to them and added that Bilgen was expected to be released towards evening hours.

Click - The Status of HDP MPs to Date

Number of arrested HDP MPs drops to 9

The names of the HDP MPs who are still under arrest are:

* Selahattin Demirtaş - HDP Co-Chairperson

* Figen Yüksekdağ - Former HDP Co-Chairperson (She was relieved of her MP duties and removed from HDP membership on February 21, 2017)

* İdris Baluken - Diyarbakır MP

* Selma Irmak - Hakkari MP

* Gülser Yıldırım - Mardin MP

* Ferhat Encü - Şırnak MP

* Abdullah Zeydan - Hakkari MP

* Çağlar Demirel - Diyarbakır MP

* Burcu Çelik - Muş MP

(EKN/DG)