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Poster by Selahattin Demirtas at a demonstration in Ankara (archive image)
Photo: UMIT BEKTAS / REUTERS
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ordered the immediate release of the pro-Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas from Turkish custody.
This was decided by the Grand Chamber of the Strasbourg Court (complaint number 14305/17).
"The court comes to the conclusion that the reasons put forward by the authorities for the pre-trial detention should mainly obscure political reasons," according to the Reuters news agency in the judgment.
According to the ECHR, the right to freedom of expression and the right to freedom and security have been violated.
Turkey also has to pay Demirtas a total of 60,400 euros for financial loss, immaterial damage and compensation for costs and expenses.
ECHR demanded the end of imprisonment in 2018
The 47-year-old Demirtas is the former chairman of the pro-Kurdish party HDP.
At the beginning of November 2016, he and his then co-boss Figen Yüksekdag were arrested.
Demirta's parliamentary immunity had previously been lifted.
There are numerous lawsuits against the politician.
In the so-called main trial, Demirtas is charged, among other things, with membership in a terrorist organization.
Demirta's imprisonment during the referendum for a presidential system in Turkey in 2017 and the 2018 presidential elections had the specific purpose of suppressing pluralism and restricting the freedom of political debate, the ECHR said in its ruling.
In 2018, the Strasbourg court ordered the politician's release because it found the long pre-trial detention to be unjustified.
Turkey did not implement the judgment.
The case ended up before the Grand Chamber of the ECHR, i.e. before the highest instance of the Strasbourg court.
A new arrest warrant for Demirtas has now been issued.
According to the court, an application by the politician to the ECHR is still pending.
The recent ECtHR ruling is now putting the courts dealing with the case under further pressure.
In June the Turkish Constitutional Court ruled that the long pre-trial detention without trial violated Demirta's rights and exceeded the "reasonable time".
However, the constitutional court had not decided on a release.
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fek / Reuters / dpa