Court of Cassation rejects demand to end proceedings against jailed CHP MP Berberoğlu

ANKARA

Turkey’s Court of Cassation on July 20 rejected a demand to stop legal proceedings against jailed lawmaker Enis Berberoğlu, who was re-elected in the June 24 snap elections as an MP from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

The demand was filed by Berberoğlu’s lawyers who said the lawmaker was once again granted immunity from prosecution with the last election, and such a situation would stop the continuation of proceedings against him. The lawyers argued that the proceedings against the deputy should be suspended until he is once again stripped of his parliamentary immunity.

The lawyers have also demanded Berberoğlu’s release, which the court said they will handle later on.

In February, an Istanbul court sentenced Berberoğlu to five years and 10 months in jail after convicting him of disclosing government secrets.

Berberoğlu was initially sentenced in 2017 to 25 years for espionage on charges he gave daily Cumhuriyet a video purporting to show Turkey’s intelligence agency trucking weapons into Syria.

In a retrial that finished on Feb. 13 of this year, Berberoğlu, who has denied the charges, was sentenced to five years and 10 months in jail.