03.11.2025 21:36
A decision has been made in the case of former HDP Diyarbakır MP Semra Güzel, who was tried with a request for up to 15 years in prison. The court sentenced Güzel to 8 years and 9 months in prison and ordered her release. The decision was met with a reaction from the DEM Party.
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After her immunity was lifted, a case was opened against former HDP Diyarbakır MP Semra Güzel, who faces up to 15 years in prison for the charge of "being a member of an armed terrorist organization." A decision was made in the trial in which she is being prosecuted.
During the hearing at the Ankara 22nd High Criminal Court, the defendant Güzel participated via video conference from the prison where she is held, while her lawyers and spectators were present in the courtroom. The presiding judge announced that the expert report regarding the requested HTS records from the previous session had been added to the file, and also that the examination report regarding the identity card allegedly issued in the name of "Mehtap Dayan," which is claimed to be fake, had been included in the file.
Former HDP Diyarbakır MP Semra Güzel "I RECEIVED DEATH THREATS" Afterward, Güzel, who was given the floor, stated that the individuals mentioned in the witness statements and HTS records were medical students, and that it was normal for her to communicate with students during the time she was serving in the management of the Medical Chamber, claiming that she had no organizational connection. Regarding her capture with a fake identity named "Mehtap Dayan" while traveling from Istanbul to Edirne on September 2, 2022, she stated, "Throughout the process, I received death threats. I had to defend and protect myself. If an investigation had been initiated by the Ministry of Interior regarding this situation, at least we would not have experienced this concern."
The defendant's lawyers stated that at the time of the incident, Güzel had a valid identity card from official institutions, that she did not even use the name "Mehtap Dayan," and that it was established that she introduced herself to the police as Semra Güzel, arguing that she did not commit the crime of 'forgery of official documents.'
PROSECUTOR REQUESTED HER RELEASE After the statements, the presiding judge indicated that there were no remaining issues to be investigated regarding the stage the file had reached and asked the public prosecutor for their opinion on the evaluation of detention. The prosecutor stated that they reiterated their opinion, and considering the stage of the trial and the duration the defendant had spent in detention, they concluded that the judicial control measures would be proportionate, and requested a release decision for the defendant based on the implementation of the judicial control measures to be issued by the court.
Former HDP Diyarbakır MP Semra Güzel SHE REQUESTED ACQUITTAL In her defense regarding the indictment, the defendant Güzel stated that she had made statements regarding the documents that had come into the file during the trial process, and she said: "It was directly discussed what punishment I should receive. These events occurred even before my immunity was lifted. The photos of me taken before I became a deputy gained value after I became a deputy; they were manipulated." Claiming that there has been no tangible evidence since the beginning of the file, Güzel requested acquittal from the court.
8 YEARS 9 MONTHS IN PRISON AND RELEASE The defendant's lawyers also stated that their client did not accept the accusations against her and that she had been detained for a long time, requesting her release. The court announced its decision, sentencing defendant Semra Güzel to 6 years and 3 months for the charge of "being a member of an armed terrorist organization" and 2 years and 6 months for the charge of "forgery of official documents," and ordered her release.
DEMAND PARTY REACTS TO THE DECISION: IT IS NULL AND VOID On the other hand, a reaction came from the DEM Party regarding the court's decision. In a statement made on the social media account of the DEM Party's Law and Human Rights Commission regarding the decision, it was stated, "The Ankara 22nd High Criminal Court has sentenced Semra Güzel to 8 years and 9 months in prison and ordered her RELEASE. With this decision, which began with a lynching and defamation campaign, it is intended to punish Semra Güzel's identity as a Kurdish woman politician and her political struggle. The unlawful decision made for political motives is null and void."
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