Kurdish journalist Öznur Değer was taken into custody in the Kurdish province of Mardin. According to the women's news agency JinNews, for which Değer works, she was detained on Friday morning by a task force of the Turkish police's special anti-terrorism unit (PÖH) in the district of Kızıltepe.

The police broke down the apartment door and dragged the journalist out onto the street, using force, while her apartment was searched and equipment was confiscated. Değer was then put in a police vehicle with her hands tied behind her back and taken to the police station in Mardin.

While the reason for Değer’s detention is not known, as the police did not provide any information, JinNews suspects that it may be related to the journalist's work for the Free Kurdish Press. At the police station, Değer is said to have refused to answer any questions. She will probably be transferred to a public prosecutor's office later today, according to reports.

This is not the first time that Öznur Değer has been targeted by the Turkish police and judiciary. She has already been arrested and imprisoned several times and is currently facing multiple charges. The most recent investigation against Değer began in December when she was accused of insulting an official in Mardin. She called a Turkish police officer a fascist after he made sexist comments and she described his comments as obscene. In a court case in Ankara, the JinNews reporter was convicted last July of alleged PKK support.