Strong likelihood of Selahattin Demirtas’ release after European court’s final ruling

Strong likelihood of Selahattin Demirtas’ release after European court’s final ruling

Senior figures in Turkey’s pro-Kurdish DEM Party say the release of jailed Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas may occur within days, after the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) issued a final decision ordering his immediate release.

ECHR ruling becomes final after Turkey’s objection rejected

Cengiz Candar, a DEM Party lawmaker, said the Strasbourg court’s decision is now binding, noting that Turkey’s attempt to challenge the ruling was dismissed. “Demirtas must be released at any moment. Legally, he should have already been freed this week,” Candar told Rudaw, adding that the chances of his release “this weekend or next week are very strong.”

The ECHR first ruled on July 8 that Demirtas should be released without delay. With the appeal rejected, the case has now been forwarded to the 22nd Criminal Chamber of the Ankara Regional Court of Appeal for review.

Demirtas’ imprisonment and the political context

Selahattin Demirtas, a former co-chair of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), has been imprisoned since November 2016 on terror-related charges tied to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). His continued detention has long been criticized by rights groups, and many observers believe any move toward his release is closely connected to Ankara’s renewed peace discussions with the PKK.

In May 2024, a Turkish court sentenced Demirtas to nearly 40 years in prison in the high-profile Kobane case. The charges stem from the October 2014 protests that erupted after ISIS attacked the Kurdish-majority city of Kobane in Syria, during which the HDP called for demonstrations demanding a humanitarian corridor from the Kurdistan Region. The unrest resulted in 51 deaths and hundreds of injuries.

Growing calls inside Turkey urging his release

Various political groups, bar associations, and civil society organizations across Turkey have urged authorities to comply with the European court’s ruling. On Tuesday, former Turkish prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu, now head of the opposition Future Party, told Rudaw that Demirtas’ release is necessary. “He should be released as early as possible,” he said, expressing full support for freeing the jailed politician.

Demirtas led the HDP from 2014 to 2018 and remains one of the most influential Kurdish political figures in Turkey, despite being incarcerated for nearly eight years.