İSTANBUL - A former deputy of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Halil Aksoy, has been sentenced to one year in prison in the case he had been acquitted 13 years ago.

 

In 2009, a lawsuit was filed against former HDP deputy for Ağrı province, Halil Aksoy, for a speech he had made while serving as the Istanbul provincial chair of the Democratic Society Party (DTP).

 

In its ruling dated December 16, 2009, the Istanbul 11th High Criminal Court stated that the expressions "Our Leader" and "Our Martyrs" used by Aksoy were in line with Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and Article 26 of the Turkish Constitution. The court evaluated the statements within the scope of “freedom of expression” and acquitted the politician.

 

Following an objection to the court ruling by Chief Public Prosecutor Celal Kara, who launched the “17-25 December Corruption and Bribery" investigation against AKP ministers and was later wanted for being related to "FETO" organization, the Penal Department No. 9 of the Supreme Court overturned the decision and submitted the file back to the local court.

 

The final hearing of the case in which Aksoy was acquitted 13 years ago was held yesterday (Apr. 26) at the 11th High Criminal Court in Istanbul. Aksoy and his lawyer Arzu Eylem Kayaoğlu attended the hearing. They denied the charges and requested acquittal.

 

However, contrary to the acquittal ruling given 13 years ago, the court sentenced Aksoy to 1 year in prison, arguing that he conducted "propaganda for a (terrorist) organization" in his speech in question. The court also rejected a postponement of his sentence.