Ankara University Faculty of Political Sciences student Yusufcan Yýldýrým was taken into custody on 20 January for allegedly “planning an armed action” and arrested on 23th in alleged “membership to four separate organizations”. Yýldýrým’s first trial will be held on 6 December, in the 11th month of his imprisonment.

The boy has been charged with “being a member of an unknown organization”. His mother, Melek Yýldýrým, was taken into custody after a police raid in her house on 1 November.

Mother Yýldýrým, speaking to bianet after being released on 4 November, said she was detained "to be intimidated and to be silenced because since my son's arrest I have been working on a campaign calling for his release”.

Yýldýrým works for the project “My new Homeland” which gives preliminary information training to people moving to Germany benefiting from Family Reunification laws. The Project is run jointly by Alevi Communities in Germany (AABF) and Social Democracy Foundation (SODEV) and supported by the Federal Republic of Germany.

“Legal magazines, school books and book lists - says Yýldýrým’s sister Açelya Yýldýrým - were shown as evidences for my brother’s arrest".

Açelya Yýldýrým said that all her mother did was to struggle for Yusufcan’s release for 11 months.

Mother Melek Yýldýrým expresses her sorrow about the situation. “I can’t say that I trust the legal order. - she says - What happened to us may happen to anyone at any time. This country has become a semi-open prison.”