Appeal to free Kurd opposition candidate rejected

A TURKISH court rejected an appeal on Monday by the proKurdish opposition for the release of their jailed former leader and presidential candidate, the party said, a month before snap parliamentary and presidential elections. Selahattin Demirtaş, who has been in jail for a year-and-ahalf on security charges and faces a jail sentence of up to 142 years if convicted, was nominated by his Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) as a presidential candidate earlier this month.

Last week, the HDP applied for Mr Demirtaş to be released before next month’s snap election, saying his detention jeopardised voter freedom.