Diyarbakır Mayor Osman Baydemir, who had faced 42 years in prison if convicted on charges of dissemination of terrorist propaganda and abetting a terrorist organization, was acquitted of the charges leveled against him late on Thursday.
Baydemir, who was charged with taking part in illegal activities and making propaganda for a terrorist organization, was acquitted on all charges. He had not been jailed pending trial and continued to do his job as mayor of the city during the trial.
The Diyarbakır 7th High Criminal Court delivered the final decision in a hearing on Thursday while Baydemir was absent. The prosecutor had demanded the case be dropped due to a lack of concrete evidence.
After reviewing the evidence and the prosecutor’s demand, the judges ruled for the acquittal of Baydemir.