MARDİN - Kızıltepe co-mayor Nilüfer Elik Yılmaz and Savur co-mayor Gülistan Öncü have not been released from prison during the first hearing in the case in which they stand trial.
The first hearing was held today in the case opened against Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) co-mayor of Mardin’s Kızıltepe district, Nilüfer Elik Yılmaz, and co-mayor of Savur district, Gülistan Öncü. Both mayors were dismissed and replaced by trustees appointed by the government as part of the Turkish regime’s political genocide campaign against the Kurdish people and their elected representatives.
Yılmaz and Öncü who are held in Tarsus T Type Closed Prison, in Mersin province, attended the hearing at Mardin 2nd Heavy Penal Court via the video-conferencing system SEGBIS. The co-mayors rejected the accusations raised against them.
Following the defence of the lawyers, the court board ruled continuation of detention for both mayors and adjourned the hearing until August 11.