After soldiers recently raided the women’s cells in Mardin E Type Closed Prison and seized Kurdish class notes and books, prisoners right to phone calls was increased from once a week to once every two weeks. Afterwards, 9 women were transferred to Bayburt and 6 women were transferred to Urfa.

17 year-old Hafso Yalçın, who is one of the 9 women that were transferred to Bayburt M Type Closed Prison, had been detained in Nusaybin and given a sentence of 8 years for having a stone in her hand two years ago. Hafso’s family is upset at their daughter’s exile.

Hafso’s mother Gazal Yalçın stated that her daughter was only 15 years old when she was jailed, and has now been exiled after serving time in Mardin prison for two years. Mother Yalçın said “We used to visit her in Mardin once a week. I don’t know if we can visit her once a month now. Our financial situation is not good and we will have to be on the road for days now.”

Gazal Yalçın noted that soldiers raided prison cells and insulted the prisoners before her daughter’s exile, and several women prisoners were exiled after their books and notes were confiscated. Gazal stated that the excuse for the raid was the Kurdish class notes some prisoners had, but suggesting that the main reason for the raid was to separate the inmates from each other. Mother Yalçın emphasized that her daughter was tortured and starved for two days during her exile to Bayburt.

Father Nezir Yalçın described the exile of her daughter as unfair, and reiterated that his daughter was starved for two days during her exile to Bayburt. Father Yalçın said that both him and his wife are sick and cannot visit Hafso every week, and criticized the courts for imprisoning his daughter for 8 years simply because she had a stone in her hand.