ANKARA - The hearing of HDP Co-Chair Pervin Buldan was held for the speeches she made at the events she attended.

 

The hearing of the lawsuit filed against Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Pervin Buldan on charges of "making propaganda for a terrorist organization" and "being a member of a terrorist organization" was held due to the speeches she made at events she attended between 2008 and 2015. Pervin Buldan and her lawyers were present at the hearing at the Ankara 18th High Criminal Court.

 

Lawyer Kenan Maçoğlu reminded HDP's Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu about the decision of the Constitutional Court and demanded that the case be stopped. The court, which evaluated the request, rejected the demand because Pervin's immunity had been lifted before.

 

‘Newroz is the festival of the Kurds’

 

When the chief judge asked about the tension during the celebration in Iğdır and the dialogue between Pervin and the police, Pervin said: ‘’I do not know exactly what I was accused of. I did not receive any instructions for the Newroz celebrations on March 20, 2012, in Iğdır. Every year on that date, the Kurds and their friends celebrate this festival, this year it was celebrated as well. In 2012, when I was a MP of Iğdır, we asked permission to celebrate Newroz, but the governor's office did not allow it. When we went to the celebration area, the security forces had closed it, we had a dialogue, but we could not convince. Not only in the Newroz area, but also in front of our party's provincial building, permission was not given. Then the police intervened. I do not accept these accusations. We were just there to celebrate Newroz as the people and our party.’’

 

Noting that there was nothing they wanted to say in addition to Pervin's statement, the lawyers asked for time to make a comprehensive defense.

Thereupon, the court board postponed the hearing to November 3.