Prosecutor seeks aggravated life sentence for jailed HDP MP for ‘attempting to kill district governor’

DİYARBAKIR

A prosecutor in the southeastern Turkish province of Şırnak has sought an aggravated life sentence for Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) deputy Ferhat Encü over “attempting to kill a public official due to the public duty he is carrying out.”

The Şırnak Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office had filed a complaint against Encü - who was also arrested for “conducting terrorist propaganda” on behalf of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) on Nov. 4, 2016 - over attempting to kill Uludere District Governor Naif Yavuz after Yavuz arrived to offer his condolences following the Uludere killings. 

Thirty-four civilians, allegedly mistaken for PKK militants smuggling goods into Turkey, were killed on Dec. 28, 2011 by Turkish F-16s in Uludere.

After he and his group was attacked while on the condolence visit, Yavuz filed complaints against alleged attackers and investigations were launched into Encü and 30 relatives for “attempting to kill” and “causing simple injury.” Encü was detained six times as a part of the probe, but was released each time after his testimony was taken.

Encü, who lost a number of relatives in the air strike, is accused of “attempting to lynch Yavuz.” 
His case was separated from the other case file, in which a total of 31 people are being tried, after he was elected as a lawmaker in 2015. A summary of proceedings was then sent to the Justice Ministry for him to be tried.

The indictment prepared five days after his arrest was combined with the other case file and was sent to the southeastern province of Diyarbakır over security concerns. 

The indictment was accepted in the Şırnak Second Heavy Penal Court, but the first hearing of the case will be held in nearby Diyarbakır due to security concerns.