Listening to Kurdish music counts as a crime

The indictment against nine politicians, who were arrested in Van, has been prepared after six months. The indictment listed Kurdish music, and wearing yellow-red-green colored headscarf as crimes.

On May 11, the office of the Democratic Regions Party (Demokratik Bölgeler Partisi, DBP) and many houses were raided by Turkish police forces in Van province. A total of 11 people were taken into custody in the operation, including Co-chair of shut-down TUYAD-DER (Inmate Families' Democratic Law and Solidarity Association) Van branch, Aynur Bağış, and Democratic Regions’ Party (DBP) Women's Assembly member Miyeser Çelik.

After 12 days in custody, six of those detained in the operation were remanded in custody for alleged “membership to a terrorist organisation” and “undertaking activities in the name of to a terrorist organisation”. Those jailed included Aynur Bağış, Miyeser Çelik, Ahmet Aygün, Ramazan Duman and Necmi Varhan. Aynur Bağış and Miyeser Çelik were then sent to Van T Type Closed Prison.

The indictment against these politicians, who are in prison since May, has been prepared six months later. Since the indictment against Aynur Bağış was not based on any concrete proof, she was eventually accused that the Kurdish music she listened to was "music of the organisation", PKK in this case, and her yellow-red-green colored headscarf amounted to "membership to the organisation". Her imprisonment was justified on statements of a secret witness and telephone tapes.

As a reason for Miyaser Çelik's arrest, her meeting with friends in a café was evaluated as "an organizational meeting". On October 26, the nine politicians will appear before the judge.