The European Democratic Powers Union (DGB) demanded the release of ex-HDP co-chairs Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ and all political prisoners.

DGB Europe issued a written statement protesting the fact that Demirtaş is still in prison despite the European Court of Human Rights ruling that he should be released.

In the statement the DGB said: "former HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş, who was arrested as a result of a political conspiracy on 4 November 2016, has been held as a political prisoner for 4 years. Due to the binding nature of the European Convention on Human Rights and the implementation of the European Court of Human Rights rulings, Selahattin Demirtaş should be released immediately.”

DGB Europe added that despite the ECHR Grand Chamber ruling on 22 December 2020, Demirtas remains in prison as the “AKP-MHP fascist alliance continues to prevent his release.”

The statement continued: “The AKP government, stating that its domestic law is superior to the ECHR ruling and that the decision made is hypocritical, ignored the ECHR procedure, disregarded its own state law and demonstrated its insistence on fascist practices.”

The DGB added that “the Turkish state's judicial system has completely collapsed. The currently operated judicial system acts according to war and prisoner law. Indeed, all those practicing this illegality, starting with president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, should be tried by an international court as war criminals and for committing crimes against humanity.”

The DGB called on “the international opinion to act in accordance with their own laws and agreements” while underlining that “this illegal practices will only be overcome by the common struggle of our peoples. Today, we are the voices in Europe of all prisoners who are in favour of freedom, justice and equality, beginning with Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ