The prosecutor accused Demirtas and Onder of spreading “terrorist propaganda” through their speeches five years ago, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu agency cited a judicial source as saying.

Demirtas and Onder made their speeches during the spring festival of Newruz celebrations in Istanbul in March 2013, according to the agency.

Demirtas was not present in the hearing due to a health report. Onder, however, attended the hearing which was at the Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court.

Demirtas was detained on “terror charges” in November 2016. He has been incarcerated since then.

The demand came after Demirtas had been nominated as the party’s nominee in this June’s Presidential election in Turkey.

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

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.

Reporter’s code: 50101