ECHR rules against Turkey in Demirtaş case, citing political motives behind detention

STRASBOURG, France — The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has once again ruled against Turkey, declaring that the prolonged detention of Selahattin Demirtaş, the former co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (now DEM Party), was politically motivated and aimed at silencing dissent. 

In a judgment delivered this week, the Strasbourg-based court determined that Turkey violated Demirtaş’s rights by keeping him imprisoned from September 2019 to 2024 in a case that “sought to curtail his political activities and limit public debate.” The court concluded that the Turkish government’s actions were not only unlawful but also deliberately targeted at stifling opposition voices. 

Demirtaş, a prominent Kurdish politician and longtime critic of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s administration, was originally detained in November 2016. In 2024, following a high-profile trial in Ankara, he was sentenced to 42 years in prison. Among the charges was his call for protests in support of the Kurdish resistance against ISIS in the Syrian city of Kobani.

This is not the first time the ECHR has ruled in Demirtaş’s favor. In a prior decision, the court found that his detention between 2016 and 2019 violated multiple provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights and ordered his immediate release. That ruling was met with a sharp rebuke from President Erdoğan, who dismissed it as politically biased. 

In the latest verdict, the court awarded Demirtaş €35,000 in damages and an additional €20,000 to cover legal costs. The ruling adds further pressure on Ankara, which has faced mounting criticism from European institutions over its treatment of political opponents and erosion of judicial independence. 

The Turkish government has not yet commented on the ruling, though analysts expect a firm response. The case is seen as a litmus test for Turkey’s commitment to democratic norms and its already strained relationship with the European Union.