He has been incarcerated since November 2016.

There is no legal obstacle preventing him from running as the pro-Kurdish party’s candidate, despite running from inside of a jail cell. His trial is ongoing.

Demirtas is accused of “leading a terrorist organization,” “inciting hate,” and “campaigning on behalf of a terrorist. While he is unlikely to win, his status as a prisoner will certainly highlight the ongoing campaign of the Turkish government against the Kurds in general and the HDP in particular. Numerous HDP politicians, at all levels, have been jailed on various charges since they scored an historic tally in the last election.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last week called snap elections, a year and a half ahead of schedule, on June 24. Opposition parties are developing a strategy to work together to defeat the incumbent, but it is unlikely that they will end up fielding a joint candidate, as some have suggested.

Reporter’s code: 50101