July 13, 2017•Update: July 13, 2017
GAZIANTEP, Turkey
A Turkish court on Thursday upheld a legal decision against an opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) lawmaker convicted of disseminating terrorist propaganda.
Besime Konca, a lawmaker for Siirt province in southeast Turkey, was jailed for two-and-a-half years on May 29 by the 2nd Criminal Court in Batman on a series of charges which included membership of an armed terrorist organization and making terrorist propaganda.
Konca appealed the conviction but Thursday’s decision upheld the Batman court’s ruling.
The Turkish government has accused the HDP of being linked to the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU.
Several HDP deputies, including party leaders Figen Yuksekdag and Selahattin Demirtas, were arrested last November for allegedly failing to cooperate in a counterterrorism investigation.
The lawmakers began facing prosecution under anti-terrorism legislation after their parliamentary immunity was lifted in March 2016.
Reporting by Adsiz Gunebakan; Writing by Sibel Ugurlu
