News Center- The trial, known as the “Kobani Case”, opened against 108 people, including HDP former co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ will be held today.

In October 2014, ISIS attempted to invade Kobanî; people in Turkey protested demanding “the borders to be opened for providing humanitarian aid to the people in Kobani and the support for ISIS to be ended”. An indictment was prepared against 108 people after six years and four months passed since the protests took place in Turkey. The trial, known as Kobanî Case” will be held today by 22^nd High Criminal Court at the campus of the Sincan Prison in Ankara. 1.200 lawyers submitted authorization to the court to undertake the defense. In addition, delegations from 16 countries came to Turkey to follow up on the case.

How was the investigation into Kobanî protests opened?

Protests took place in 35 cities of Turkey between October 6 and 8, 2014 upon the call of Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) administrators. 37 people, including 27 HDP members lost their lives.

More than one investigation was filed against HDP former co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ and members of HDP’s Central Executive Board. The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor joined the investigations under two indictments accusing the HDP of a tweet posted on 6 October 2014 about Kobanî protests. The first indictment was prepared against the former HDP MPs and HDP former co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ by the Parliamentary Crimes Investigation Bureau. The second indictment was prepared against members of HDP’s Central Executive Board by Investigation Bureau for Crimes Against Constitutional Order.

Turkey first lifted the immunity of HDP MPs

On February 21, 2016, summary of proceedings was prepared to lift the parliamentary immunity of HDP Co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ and other HDP MPs within the scope of investigation opened into Kobanî protests. On May 20, 2016, the parliamentary immunity of HDP MPs was lifted and the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor sent the case file to the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor. The Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor joined the investigation files opened against Yüksekdağ and Demirtaş and former HDP MPs Ayhan Bilgen, Hüda Kaya, Altan Tan, Garo Paylan, Meral Danış Beştaş, Gülser Yıldırım. On November 4, 2016, 11 HDP MPs, including Yüksekdağ and Demirtaş, were detained. Some of them were jailed.

Evidence include public statements by the HDP

A 14-page document was sent by the Ankara Provincial Police Department on February 19, 2015, to be added to the investigation files opened against former members of HDP’s Central Executive Board. A 33-page report prepared by the B Branch of the Counter-Terrorism and Operations Department of Directorate General for Security was added to the document. Then a 71-page report prepared by the General Directorate of Security and a four-page document consisting of the investigation report and news prepared by the Ankara TEM Branch Office was summited. That investigation report formed the basis of the indictment of the Kobanê Case, which was accepted by the Ankara 22^nd High Criminal Court on January 8, 2021.

The evidence in the indictment includes public statements by the HDP, news articles of Firat News Agency, politicians’ posts on social media platforms. Politicians have been accused of doing politics in the indictment.

They were jailed twice

As the confidentiality order on the case file remains, the European Court of Human Rights ruled on September 2, 2019, that Turkey must immediately release Selahattin Demirtaş. After the rule of the European Court of Human Rights, the prosecutor wrote warrants to Edirne F-type Prison, where Selahattin Demirtaş has been held, and Kocaeli No.1 F-Type Prison, where Figen Yüksekdağ has been held, on September 19, 2019, in order to take their statements as suspects within the scope of the Kobanî investigation. Although Yüksekdağ and Demirtaş demanded to give their statements, they were jailed for the second time on September 20, 2019, for the Kobanî protests, took place between October 6 and 8, 2014.

28 people have been behind bars

After Yüksekdağ and Demirtaş were jailed for the same accusation for the second time, on September 24, 2020, Sırrı Süreyya Önder, Nazmi Gür, Ayla Akat Ata, Emine Ayna, Emine Beyza Üstün, Bircan Yorulmaz, Bülent Barmaksız, Can Memiş, Dilek Yağlı, Gülfer Akkaya, Günay Kubilay Zeki Çelik, Ali Ürküt, Altan Tan, Pervin Oduncu, Alp Altınörs, Berfin Özgür Köse, Cihan Erdal, Ayhan Bilgen, İsmail Şengül were taken into custody. On October 2, 2020, Sırrı Süreyya Önder, Altan Tan and Gülfer Akkaya were released under judicial control while other 17 people remained jailed.

A special delegation was appointed to the case

The indictment prepared for the Kobanî protests was accepted by the Ankara 22nd High Criminal Court on January 7, 2021. A delegation was appointed to the 22nd High Criminal Court for Kobanî case. This delegation will be responsible for just the Kobanî case.

The trial, known as the “Kobanî Case”, opened against 108 people. These people have faced thousands of years in prison from 30 different charges.