‘Only my electorate can question me’: HDP

ANKARA

Twelve People’s Democratic Party (HDP) lawmakers detained on Nov. 4 gave a joint defense that was prepared when the immunity of the representatives were lifted by a parliamentary vote in June, to prosecutors, the party has said, underlining that they can only questioned by the people that elected them as their representatives.

“Only the people who have elected me can question me about my political activities,” the joint defense read. 

“We are the elected representatives of the people. We represent the people who voted for us, not ourselves. I am standing in front of you as a parliamentary representative and a member of parliament with impunity. I will never allow anyone disrespect the identity that I represent and the will of my people,” it said.

“I would never abstain from giving account to impartial judicial bodies. I don’t have anything that I cannot give an account for,” it said.

The joint defense text was prepared by HDP lawmakers after the constitutional amendment on lifting the parliamentary immunity of some lawmakers who have been criminally charged entered into force in June.

The HDP deputies vowed to use the statements when imminent investigations were going to be implemented. The written statement made by the HDP headquarters stated that all the lawmakers who were detained would use the statement.

The HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş is among them who used the joint statement as a defense, his lawyer Ramazan Demir confirmed to the Hürriyet Daily News. 

[HH] ‘I won’t answer your questions’

The statement states the investigation is compromised by a political agenda and for that reason, the MP under probe will not answer questions. 

“I won’t answer your questions. I don’t believe that any legal procedure that will be carried out by you could be just and lawful. Even my detention is done illegally,” it stated. 

“In a circumstance where the dignity of justice is compromised, I will never agree to be the subject of such a trial. I won’t be an extra in a judicial theater, which was initiated because it was ordered by [President Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan who has a shady and questionable personal history,” the HDP said.

 “Only the people who elected me can question me about my political activities,” they said.

[HH] Representatives did not give statements as ‘political stance’

HDP spokesperson Ayhan Bilgen said the reason why the lawmakers did not heed the summons of the prosecutors was because of a political stance that reflects their criticism of the post-coup atmosphere. 

“We did not go to give statements because we wanted everyone to see the coup conditions in this country. The media which states that our representatives were on the run is pursuing a smear campaign,” he said.