Published December 07, 2017
A trial against the imprisoned leader of Turkey's pro-Kurdish opposition party on terror charges has opened in the Turkish capital.
Prosecutors are seeking a total of 142 years in prison for Peoples' Democracy Party — or HDP — co-chairman Selahattin Demirtas. He is charged with leading a terror organization, engaging in terror propaganda and other crimes.
The trial is one of many against Demirtas, who is imprisoned in a jail in northwestern Turkey. He did not attend Thursday's trial.
Demirtas was arrested last year as the government launched a crackdown following a failed coup attempt, which critics say has been expanded to target all government opponents.
The government accuses the HDP of links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. The HDP denies the accusation.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/jailed-pro-kurdish-party-leaders-trial-opens-in-turkey