He was initially sentenced in 2018 for a speech he gave in 2013. The Turkish government accused him of disseminating terrorist propaganda, NRT reported.
His lawyers condemned the decision, saying it violated rulings by the European Court of Human Rights. They also criticized the timing of the decision, coming hard on the hells of the start of a separate trial related to the Kobane protests, which many view as part of the political persecution of the HDP.
Demirtas has been imprisoned since November 2016, facing several different charges including spreading propaganda on behalf of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Running from his cell, he came in third in the 2018 presidential election, winning nearly nine percent of the vote.
Reporter's code: 50101