Turkish court rules to keep Kurdish politician Demirtas in jail; EU officials call for release

A Turkish court has ruled that the former leader of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish opposition remain in prison, his lawyer said on Twitter on Friday. Top EU officials last week called for the politician’s swift release, Reuters reported. Ten days ago the European Court of Human Rights urged Turkey to swiftly process Demirtas’ legal case, saying his pre-trial detention had gone on longer than could be justified. EU Foreign Affairs Chief Federica Mogherini also called for his release during a visit to Ankara last week.