Europe human rights court calls on Turkey to release Demirtas
Europe’s top human rights court ruled Wednesday for the "immediate release" of Selahattin Demirtas, former co-chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), who has been imprisoned for more than four years in Turkey on terror-related charges.
![978797288 Supporters of imprisoned Selahattin Demirtas, Presidential candidate and leader of People's Democratic Party (HDP) hold masks as they march, during a rally in Ankara, on June 19, 2018. (Photo by ADEM ALTAN / AFP) (Photo credit should read ADEM ALTAN/AFP via Getty Images)](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2020/12/GettyImages-978797288.jpg/GettyImages-978797288.jpg?h=a5ae579a&itok=8EVtQAMy)
ISTANBUL — The Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled Wednesday for "immediate release" of a prominent Kurdish politician in Turkey, stating his more than four-year imprisonment was a violation of his rights and served to hinder democratic pluralism in the country.
In the judgment, the Chamber ruled Selahattin Demirtas, former co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), has been held in pre-trial detention since November 2016 without sufficient evidence to uphold the terror-related charges lodged against him by Turkish courts.