Van Mayor Abdullah Zeydan sentenced to 3 years, 9 months in retrial

Van Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Abdullah Zeydan has been sentenced to three years and nine months in prison following a retrial by the Diyarbakir 5th High Criminal Court.

The ruling follows the annulment of his previous five-year sentence by Türkiye’s Court of Cassation.

Legal proceedings and court ruling

Zeydan was initially convicted in 2018 for “aiding an armed terrorist organization without being a member” and “making terrorist propaganda,” receiving a total sentence of eight years, one month and 15 days in prison.

The conviction was upheld by the 4th Criminal Chamber of the Gaziantep Regional Court of Appeals but later overturned by the 16th Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation.

During Monday’s retrial, Zeydan did not attend the hearing, while his lawyer was present in court. The prosecutor’s office reiterated its stance, recommending a prison sentence. Zeydan’s lawyer requested additional time for defense preparation and filed a motion for judicial recusation, both of which were denied by the court.

The court ultimately convicted Zeydan of “attempting to knowingly and willingly aid an armed terrorist organization” and sentenced him to three years and nine months in prison.

Background and appeals

Zeydan, a former HDP lawmaker from Hakkari, was sentenced in 2018 to five years for aiding a terrorist organization and three years, one month, and 15 days for making terrorist propaganda. His case was reviewed multiple times by higher courts, leading to the recent retrial.

Following an earlier retrial in 2022, Zeydan was sentenced to eight years, one month, and 15 days in prison but was released based on time served. However, that decision was overturned by the 3rd Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation, leading to the latest ruling.