HDP leader faces jail for insulting President Erdogan

By Aziz Aslan

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (AA) - Opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Selahattin Demirtas is facing a prison sentence of up to four years for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a judicial source said Wednesday.

The indictment prepared by Diyarbakir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office demanded a prison term for Demirtas ranging from one to four years on charges of insulting Erdogan and making terrorist propaganda at a TV appearance on Sep. 9, 2015, the source said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

The indictment was accepted by a Diyarbakir court on Wednesday, the source added.

On Tuesday, the same public prosecutor's office filed another indictment against the HDP co-chair, seeking a prison sentence of 43 to 142 years on several charges including managing a terrorist organization, spreading terrorist propaganda, inciting violence and hatred, and praising crime and criminals.

Last November, 13 HDP lawmakers were arrested, 10 of whom, including HDP co-chairs Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, remain in custody awaiting trial on terrorism-related charges.

They face prosecution under anti-terrorism legislation after their parliamentary immunity was lifted in June 2016.

The government has accused the HDP of having links to the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU.