Pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Kars deputy and party spokesperson Ayhan Bilgen, who was arrested on terror charges in January, has been released on judicial probation by a court in Diyarbakır, CNN Türk reported on Friday.
Bilgen, along with another HDP deputy, Meral Danış Beştaş, was detained in January based on a decision by the Diyarbakır 5th Penal Court of Peace.
The Diyarbakır court issued arrest warrants for the two deputies due to an objection to their release filed by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The government has been criticized for stepping up a crackdown on Kurdish politicians.
There are currently 10 HDP deputies behind bars in Turkey after the release of Bilgen. Trustees have been appointed to dozens of municipalities in the country’s predominantly Kurdish Southeast, while hundreds of local Kurdish politicians have been arrested on terror charges.
