A new indictment against Kurdish lawmaker Semra Güzel seeks an additional prison sentence of up to more than seven years over forging official documents in the course of “terrorist activities.”
Güzel was arrested with a widely publicised spectacle last year in September over terrorism charges after her parliamentary immunity was lifted in March over a photo of her with a PKK guerrilla which was circulated in the pro-government media years after it was taken. The Turkish parliament demoted Güzel from her parliamentary seat in December on the grounds of absenteeism.
The lawmaker of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) already faces a 15-year sentence for allegedly being a member of a terrorist organisation, while a new indictment submitted to an Istanbul criminal court seeks another prison sentence between three years to seven years six months for Güzel for forging official documents.
According to the Turkish police, Güzel presented a forged identity card issued for “Mehtap Güzel” when she was arrested.
The indictment says Güzel committed forgery in relation to her terrorist activities.
Güzel’s case is just one in a series of government assaults against the HDP, which is a legitimate political party in Turkey and has been represented in the Turkish Parliament since 2015. Earlier this year, the Turkish Parliament stripped parliamentary immunity from nine other HDP lawmakers, paving the way for their prosecution on terrorism charges.
