Turkish court acquits Dutch Kurdish politician on alleged terrorism charges
Sunita Biharie, an SP leader in the city of Apeldoorn, said she was delighted with the court’s decision.
“He should never [have] been detained, just like a lot of other Dutch citizens that are not free and still detained,” she told Kurdistan 24.
Memis is not the only Dutch citizen who has been arrested in Turkey. At least 19 other Dutch citizens cannot leave the country pending trial.
“I am super happy that he is free. But the battle is not over yet. The others should also go home!” Biharie stated.
Most of them are being prosecuted for being critical of the government or being involved with Kurdish politics.
In April, a Dutch-Kurdish woman and her 5-year-old daughter were jailed in Turkey for being “active” in the Kurdish community.
Until now, the Dutchgovernment prefers backdoor diplomacy instead of directly calling for their release.
Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok told the Dutch Parliament last week that he was afraid such a policy would negatively affect Memis and other Dutch citizens.
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany
