The German Embassy in Ankara has said foreign diplomats have not been allowed to attend hearings in the trial of former Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-chair Figen Yüksekdağ, expressing concern over the state of the rule of law in Turkey, the Hürriyet Daily News reported.
“Diplomats from Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands and the EU delegation have been trying in vain to be admitted to the public hearing against former HDP co-chair Figen Yüksekdag in Sincan. In clear breach of Turkish law and the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations, foreign diplomats are once again denied access to a public hearing,” read a written statement issued by the German Embassy on Thursday.
“The Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice have been made aware of the situation, but refused to act on the matter. This situation is unacceptable and bodes ill for the current state of the rule of law in this country,” it added.
A statement released by the HDP explained that the foreign diplomats were not allowed to attend the hearing on the grounds that they were not accredited as diplomats to Turkey.
Yüksekdağ was arrested on Nov. 4, 2016 on charges of “terrorist propaganda” and “defaming the Turkish Republic” along with nine other HDP lawmakers and has been in prison since then.