The deposed co-mayor of the Kurdish Hakkari province, Cihan Karaman, was taken into custody during a house raid on 15 October 2019 and was remanded in custody two days later. The mayor was then deposed by the Interior Ministry.

The 7th hearing in the lawsuit against the deposed co-mayor was held at Hakkari 2nd Heavy Penal Court on Tuesday.

Karaman, who had been released from prison after the previous hearing, was present at the hearing, as well as HDP Hakkari MP Sait Dede, lawyers and party members.

While Karaman and his lawyer requested his acquittal, the court sentenced him to 2 years and 1 month in prison for “committing a crime in the name of a terrorist organization without being a member”.