Among the 67 politicians were former mayors, city councilors and members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), of which Zirig was also a member.

Zirig was convicted of membership of the outlawed Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), which has fought for Kurdish self-rule in Turkey since the 1980’s, while the remaining 67 suspects were convicted of the same charges, with sentences ranging from six years and three months to 10 years in prison.

Eleven people were acquitted of terrorism charges, including for leading a terrorist organization, Ahval news agency reported.

“This ruling is in a way documenting that the government’s partnership with FETÖ continues,” Zirig said in a tweet following his conviction, referring to followers of Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen, who was once a close ally of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) but is currently accused of having masterminded several attempts to overthrow AKP governments.

In a televised interview, Zirig said most of the prosecutors behind this and similar cases against the HDP were currently serving time in prison on terrorism charges themselves.

Zirig was removed from office in October last year, over another case where he was charged with praising criminals. He faced a judge for this case on Thursday, after the first conviction.

The two people Zirig was accused of praising were Mehmet Tunç, a local activist who died in a fire in HDP stronghold Cizre during the months-long protests of 2015 and 2016, and former HDP lawmaker Leyla Guven, whose parliamentary status was revoked on June 4 along with her colleague Musa Farisogullari.

Guven and Farisogullari had appealed to Turkey’s Constitutional Court (AYM), which rejected the appeals on Thursday, state-run Anadolu Agency reported. The AYM ruling said parliament, not the court, had authority to rule for revocation or restitution.

“I am proud of Leyla Guven, who has spent great efforts for the struggle for freedom and democracy for years,” Mezopotamya Agency cited Zirig as saying during his defense, adding that Tunç had been a beloved figure in the town as an activist.

Reporter’s code: 50101