Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they have made to the government of Turkey about the (1) continued detention of Selahattin Demirtas despite the ruling by the European Court of Human Rights, and (2) its compliance with international standards in relation to the detention and jailing of other politicians, journalists and civil servants.
We have not made representations about the detention of Selahattin Demirtas since the European Court of Human Rights ruling, though we have followed his case and made a number of attempts to observe his trials. We have repeatedly raised with the Turkish authorities the need for any legal processes, including those against MPs, to be conducted fairly, transparently and with full respect for the rule of law. We have also encouraged the Turkish authorities to ensure that the appeals process for civil servants and others dismissed in the aftermath of the July 2016 coup attempt proceeds swiftly and transparently given the large number of cases still awaiting assessment.