Strasbourg Court condemns Turkey for arrest of two Kurdish leaders

In his decision, European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) It stresses that the Turkish judicial authorities have not demonstrated that there are “exceptional circumstances” in communication between plaintiffs and their lawyers that justify an exception from the “fundamental principle” of confidentiality.

In addition, these restrictions on the exercise of your right of defense not framed by “sufficient and sufficient guarantees against abuse”He finds the court.

Turkey must pay each of them 5,500 euros for non-pecuniary damage and 2,500 euros jointly for legal costs.

Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ Şenoğlu, who is now behind bars, They were the leaders of the HDP. and his deputies were arrested on terrorism charges in November 2016, a few months after the event. coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The judge decided to enforce a judgment that was upheld on the occasion of the case. emergency declared after the coup attempt It was stated that all interviews with their lawyers were made in the presence of an official, recorded and all items that could be exchanged were confiscated.

The ECHR had already convicted Turkey in December 2020 and November 2022. because the arrest of these two men Violation of four articles of the European Convention on Human RightsOn protecting freedom and security, freedom of expression, the right to vote, and rights restrictions.

European judges concluded that these sentences contained “no facts or information” to show they had committed the terrorist crimes they were charged with.