MESOPOTAMIA NEWS : Erdogan Rejects to Abide by European Court’s Decision for Releasing HDP’s Demirtas

NORTH KURDISTAN (TURKEY)

BasNews – 20/11/2018 – 19:35- ERBIL – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has rejected to abide by the European Court of Human Rights’ verdict to release the former co-chair of pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) Selahattin Demirtas.

The court noted on Tuesday that the imprisonment of Demirtas by Ankara is a violation of European human rights, and keeping him in jail for an extended pre-trial period was not acceptable.

“The ECHR has decided to take the necessary steps for the release of our former co-chair Selahattin Demirtas,” the party said on its official Twitter account. “Local courts should immediately implement the requirements of this decision, Demirtas and other imprisoned HDP MPs should be released.”The Turkish leader, however, rejected the court’s decision, arguing that it does not bind Ankara.”The decisions delivered by the ECHR do not bind us,” Erdogan was quoted by Anadolu Agency.In 1999, a Turkish court issued a decree to imprison Erdogan after he read a certain poem. He was later freed but prevented from being involved in any political activities. The Turkish president in 2002 called on the same European court to pressure the Turkish court to release him.

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