ECHR Demands Turkey Free “Politically” Jailed Kurdish Politician

Supporter of Selahattin Demirtas holding a picture of of Demirtas at an election campaign office in Istanbul, June 17 2018. Photo: EPA-EFE/SEDAT SUNA

The European rights court said his detention for more than four years has sent a "dangerous message" to Turkish people and was "merely a cover for an ulterior political purpose".

"The applicant's initial and continued pre-trial detention not only deprived thousands of voters of representation in the National Assembly, but also sent a dangerous message to the entire population, significantly reducing the scope of free democratic debate," the court said.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday dismissed the ECHR ruling, saying that it was "not binding for Turkey".

"The ECHR approves all the cases related to terror that are launched against Turkey," Erdogan claimed.

Rights groups called on the Turkish government to release Demirtas.

"The former HDP co-chair must be released immediately. He spent over four years in prison for political reasons. No more excuses for Turkey's authorities: respecting rule of law means freeing Demirtas," Nacho Sanchez Amor, the Turkey rapporteur of the European Parliament, wrote on Twitter.

"The European Court of Human Rights' very strong judgment confirms that the Turkish government has kept Selahattin Demirtas behind bars for political reasons," said Hugh Williamson, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch, HRW.

"The judgment demonstrates how the Erdogan presidency weaponizes detention and prosecution to remove opponents from the political scene and threatens free democratic debate," Williamson added.

Nate Schenkan, Director of Research Strategy at Freedom House, said the ECHR's decision was "very important...