05/10/2016 For immediate release PARTÎYA HERÊMÊN DEMOKRATÎK
To the international press and public opinion
Call for solidarity with rule of law, human rights, democracy and freedoms
The Democratic Regions Party (DBP) is a Kurdish political party that works towards developing democracy, human rights, rule of law, freedom and the status of Kurds in Turkey. DBP follows the tradition of the struggle and line of the Kurdish political movement. The Kurdish political movement has been fighting against the status quo and its supporters since the beginning of 90’s. DBP and the Kurdish political movement have a strong tradition of struggle of progressive forces. Due to its leading progressive policies, DBP is confronted with many problems, such as arbitrary detention and extrajudicial executions. Four of our party assembly members have been targeted by extra judicial executions since last year and 2,468 members of our party have been detained- including mayors, executive members and our party co-chair, Mr. Kamuran Yüksek. Most recently, state appointed governors have taken over 26 democratically elected DBP municipalities, since 11 September 2016. Our co-chair Mr. Kamuran Yüksek was arrested due to his opposition to state policies, press releases, press conferences and statements criticizing the current government. He was critical of state policies against human rights, rule of law, democracy and freedom. He has been detained since 10 May 2016. The trial of Mr. Kamuran Yüksek will be held 7 October 2016, in Diyarbakır after 147 days of detention. Keeping a progressive political leader in jail for 147 days contradicts rule of law, democracy, human rights and universal values. Our call is, in particular, for international organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch that work for human rights, freedom and democracy. We ask international organizations to take part in monitoring the trial of Mr. Kamuran Yüksek, in Diyarbakir, on 7 October 2016. The trial will begin at 9am. Our urgent call aims to create providing solidarity in the name of universal values such as for human rights, rule of law, democracy and freedom. We ask the international community, international human right institutions and international public to observe the trial of Co-Chair of DBP Mr. Kamuran Yüksek in order to contribute to the ongoing struggle for rule of law, human rights, democracy and freedom in Turkey. Best Regards, DBP Headquarter