Amed- The final hearing of the Kobanê Trial against 108 politicians, including former Co-Chairs of Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Figen Yüksekdağ and Selahattin Demirtaş, for the protests ISIS attacks on Kobanê on 6-8 October 2014, was held on Thursday. The court sentenced Ayla Akat Ata, politician and member of the Free Women’s Movement (Kurdish: Tevgera Jinên Azad-TJA), to nine years and nine months in prison on charges of “membership of an illegal organization” and ruled her release from prison considering the duration of her detention.

 Ayla Akat Ata, who was held in prison for six years, was released from Sincan Women’s Closed Prison last night along with four politicians. NuJINHA spoke to her in front of the prison.

‘We feel sad for leaving our friends inside’

Ayla Akat Ata emphasized that the Kobanê Trial was the main agenda of recent years.

“I am one of the friends, who were released today in the most discussed trial in Türkiye for three years. We left the prison feeling sad. Both the decades-long sentences given to our friends and the friends we left behind in prison are the reason for our sadness. What challenges us is that one of the persons, who play an important role in this long-lasting struggle, is behind bars and this is accepted as normal. There are values that our people have struggled for years by paying a price.

We revere our people for their struggle

“We feel honored to be a part of this struggle.  I believe that the upcoming process will bring a process in which the will expressed by our people today is recognized. Now, there is not much to say because we feel emotions so intensely. We would like to thank our people and our party for never leaving us alone, summer or winter. This unity and integrity reveals that many things can change in this country. Our struggle continues. We congratulate our people. We revere our people for their struggle and efforts.”