Statement by HDP About Detentions: It is a Constitutional Crime

Click to read the article in Turkish

Police conducted a raid on Güngören District office of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) during a meeting in Saturday evening (April 28) and detained 39 people, including the İstanbul Provincial Co-Chair of the party Cengiz Çiçek.

Speaking about the detentions on behalf of the HDP, the Deputy Co-Chair of the party Ayşe Acar Başaran has stated, "İstanbul provincial and district executives of our party as well as our party personnel, who were holding a meeting due to the forthcoming raid elections, have been taken into custody with the order of the İstanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office on Duty."

"The period of detention is seven days"

Deputy Co-Chair Başaran has also added, "While 29 of our 39 detained friends have been released, the detention period of our 10 friends has been designated as seven days".

"Our provincial and district executives and members, who are continuing their political works despite the pressures, attacks and unlawfulness of the government, attempt to be prevented with detentions and arrests. We condemn and protest that our provincial and district organizations have been prevented from running election campaigns. What has been done is a constitutional crime. It is an adjustment of the election process with the hand of judiciary in favor of the government."

"You cannot hinder our election works"

"The government cannot reach its goal with these dirty moves. This attitude of the judiciary is an indicator of the fact that the target is not a fair election process.

"We demand that our friends in detention be immediately released and the rush of detentions and arrests come to an end.

"With these pressures, you can hinder neither our election works, nor your government coming to an end..." (PT/SD)