In the Kurdish province of Bitlis, 24 people have each been sentenced to one year and three months in prison for taking part in a demonstration against violence against women. The demonstration on January 6, 2016 had been organized by the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).

Among those sentenced is the former co-mayor of Bitlis, Abdullah Ok. Four years after the demonstration, the court in Bitlis found the participants guilty of a violation of the Law of Assembly. Execution of the sentence has been suspended for the time being.