Via Ekathimerini – A former MP for the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in Turkey has expressed her intention to apply for asylum in Greece.

Leyla Birlik, 44, was arrested by Greek police in the northeastern border town of Orestiada on Wednesday for illegal entry to the country.

A prosecutor subsequently ordered her release until her asylum request has been examined.

In January 2017, a Turkish court banned Birlik from leaving the country on suspicion of involvement with the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

A year later, another court sentenced Birlik to 19 months in prison for “insulting the president” in 2015. Birlik was not present at the hearing and her lawyers said that they would appeal.

This article was originally published by Ekathimerini.