2 Distributors of Azadiya Welat Arrested

Click to read the article in Kurdish / Turkish

The 11 distributors, who also work as journalists were detained in a raid launched on the central building of Azadiya Welat, the only Kurdish daily in Turkey, have been taken to Diyarbakır Courthouse following the completion of proceedings at the police station.

The raid was launched following a complaint on August 28.

The 11 distributors have been referred to the Criminal Judicatory of Peace on Duty on the charge of “being members of an [illegal] organization” following the completion of proceedings at the prosecution office.

Pusat Bulut, Yasemin Sayın, Serdal Polat, Zeynep İzgi, Hayat Yılmaz, Mehmet Emin Kaya, Mecrum Tekol, İbrahim Bayram and Engin Özelçi were released on probation whereas Arap Turan and Ferit Toprak were arrested on the charge of “being a member of an [illegal] organization”.

According to a report by the Dicle News Agency (DİHA), Turan and Toprak were arrested for “insistently resisting the decision to temporarily shut down the Özgür Gündem daily, and their insistence to police that they would continue the distribution under all circumstances”. (HY/EKN/TK)