Council of Europe calls on Turkey to release Selahattin Demirtas immediately

The Council of Europe calls on Turkey to proceed with the immediate release of its opposition politician Selahattin Demirtas.

In particular, “the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe has once again strongly urged the Turkish authorities to ensure the immediate release of opposition politician Selahattin Demirtas.”

He added that “the European Court of Human Rights has found that the applicant’s detention had the ultimate aim of stifling pluralism and restricting freedom of political dialogue, which is at the heart of a democratic society. It urged the Turkish authorities to take all necessary to secure his immediate release. ”

“At its last meeting to oversee the implementation of the Court’s rulings, the Committee of Ministers adopted an interim resolution expressing its deep concern that Mr Demirtas has been continuously deprived of his liberty since November 2016,” it said.

In addition, it is emphasized that “the Commission has expressed the strong hope that the Turkish Constitutional Court will complete its examination of the applicant’s complaints as soon as possible and in a manner consistent with the spirit and conclusions of the European Court of Justice.

“In the meantime, the commission has again strongly urged the authorities to ensure the immediate release of Mr Demirtas.”

“Apart from these measures, which concern Mr Demirtas in particular, the committee also adopted a decision on the general measures that Turkey is required to take to fully implement the Court’s ruling in this case, in particular to ensure its full independence. strengthen the freedom of political dialogue and ensure adequate protection against the arbitrary application of Article 314 of the Penal Code.

“The Commission has decided to re-examine this case at its March 2022 meeting to implement the decisions at the latest,” the Council of Europe said in a statement.

Source: AMPE