Disciplinary proceedings after Newroz celebration in Sincan women’s prison

Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against ten political prisoners at the Sincan Women’s Prison in Ankara for a Newroz celebration. The women are accused by the prison management of lighting a fire with newspapers and dancing to Kurdish songs and trills of joy.

Those affected are Sidar Varlu, Alev Yarar, Rozerin Kurt, Sariye Taşkesen, Ayla Akat Ata, Dilek Yağlı, Ayşe Yağcı, Meryem Adıbelli, Bircan Yorulmaz and Pervin Oduncu. Most of them are accused in the ongoing “Kobanê Trial,” among other trials. The show trial is taking place in parallel with the ban proceedings against the HDP and is directed against a total of 108 figures from politics, civil society and the Kurdish liberation movement who are accused of terrorist crimes and murder in dozens of cases in connection with the protests during the ISIS attack on Kobanê in October 2014.

Imprisoned politician Ayla Akat Ata and another fifty women in the Sincan prison complex were already given disciplinary sentences last year for Kurdish songs and dancing on August 15. The punishments ranged from restricting means of communication such as letters or phone calls to banning them from visiting for a month at a time. Prisoners Hanım Yıldırım, Jiyan Ateş and Rojdan Erez were stripped of their early release due to the proceedings.