MP of the opposition pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) of Turkey, former mayor of primarily Kurdish-populated Diyarbakır town, prominent Kurdish figure Osman Baydemir, was arrested at Diyarbakır court.

Baydemir was taking part in the trial into the case of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), during which he was arrested, according to Cumhuriyet daily of Turkey.

During his tenure as Mayor of Diyarbakır, Osman Baydemir had provided considerable assistance in the restoration of the Surp (Holy) Giragos Armenian Church of the town, an Armenian sign—reading “Welcome to Diyarbakır”—was placed near the entrance to the city, he had apologized for Armenian Genocide, and visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Armenia’s capital city of Yerevan.