6.  The applicants are Turkish nationals who were born in 1957, 1962 and 1964 and live in Ankara, Batman and Diyarbakır, respectively 7.  On 16 November 1998 the head of the Diyarbakır Security Directorate requested the Diyarbakır Public Prosecutor to issue a search warrant in order to inspect the Diyarbakır and Batman offices of HADEP (Halkın Demokrasi Partisi-People’s Democracy Party), where demonstrations and hunger strikes were allegedly being organised, in order to protest the arrest of the PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan. The public prosecutor issued the search warrant on the same day. 8.  On 18 November 1998 the applicants were taken into police custody by the police officers at the Batman Security Directorate. 9.  In a letter dated 20 November 1998 the Diyarbakır Security Directorate requested the Diyarbakır Public Prosecutor to extend the applicants’ detention period until 22 November 1998 together with hundred and seven others. On the same day, considering the number of the accused and the difficulty to obtain evidence, the public prosecutor authorised to extend the detention period as requested. 10.  On 22 November 1998 a judge at the Diyarbakır State Security Court decided to extend the applicants’ detention period until 28 November 1998, following the Diyarbakır Security Directorate’s second request. 11.  On 26 November 1998 the applicants were first brought before a public prosecutor and then a judge at the Diyarbakır State Security Court, where they refused all allegations against them. The judge ordered their release pending trial. 12.  On 17 December 1998 the Diyarbakır Public Prosecutor filed a bill of indictment with the Diyarbakır State Security Court accusing the first applicant of aiding and abetting members of a terrorist organisation. On the same day three public prosecutors attached to the Diyarbakır State Security Court decided that no prosecution should be brought against the second applicant on the ground that there existed no evidence to convict him. 13.  On 3 April 2001 the Diyarbakır State Security Court decided to defer the imposition of a final sentence upon the first applicant, pursuant to Law no. 4616. The court held, under Article 1 § 4 of the same law, that the criminal proceedings against her would be suspended and a final sentence would be imposed should she be convicted of a further intentional offence within five years of this decision. 14.  On 17 November 1998 the applicant was taken into police custody together with a group of twenty people outside the party’s headquarter in Diyarbakır. 15.  In a letter dated 18 November 1998 the Diyarbakır Security Directorate requested the Diyarbakır Public Prosecutor to extend the detention period of the applicant along with hundred and ten others until 21 November 1998. On the same day the public prosecutor authorised the security directorate to extend the detention period until that date. 16.  On 20 November 1998, following a request from the Diyarbakır Security Directorate and considering the number of the accused, the judge at the Diyarbakır State Security Court decided to extend the detention period until 26 November 1998. 17.  On 25 November 1998 the applicant was brought before a public prosecutor and a judge at the Diyarbakır State Security Court. The judge ordered the applicant’s release pending trial. 18.  On 22 February 2001 the Diyarbakır State Security Court decided to defer the imposition of a final sentence upon the applicant, pursuant to Law no. 4616. The court held, under Article 1 § 4 of the same law, that the criminal proceedings against the applicant would be suspended and a final sentence would be imposed should he be convicted of a further intentional offence within five years of this decision.