06.01.2026 12:50
The final hearing of the case opened against Selahattin Demirtaş on the grounds of 'insulting the President' was held at the 14th Criminal Court of First Instance in Mersin. The court panel sentenced Demirtaş to 1 year, 5 months, and 15 days in prison for committing the crime of 'insulting the President' in a repeated manner during his speeches in Mersin and Diyarbakır.
Former HDP Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş was sentenced to 1 year, 5 months, and 15 days in prison for the crime of 'insulting the president'.
The verdict hearing of the case opened against Demirtaş on the grounds of 'insulting the president' was held at the 14th Criminal Court of First Instance in Mersin. Demirtaş, who is imprisoned in Edirne F-Type High Security Closed Prison for another crime, did not attend the hearing, while his lawyer was present in the courtroom.
REQUEST FOR RECUSAL WAS REJECTED
The defendant's lawyers stated that they did not prepare a defense due to the requests they submitted to the court in the previous session and requested additional time to present a defense against the indictment. The presiding judge rejected the request for 'additional time' on the grounds that time had already been granted for statements against the indictment in the previous hearing. Following the rejection of the time request, the defendant's lawyers filed a 'recusal' request on the grounds that the principle of fair defense was violated. The request was rejected by the court. The presiding judge also stated that Demirtaş's request to attend the hearing was denied due to 'security' reasons.
DECISION WAS MADE
The court panel, after listening to the lawyers, sentenced Selahattin Demirtaş to 1 year, 5 months, and 15 days in prison for committing the crime of 'insulting the president' in his speeches in Mersin and Diyarbakır in a consecutive manner.