Heval Arslan, a Kurdish female journalist and host of Medya Haber TV, was detained after being summoned to the Ninove police station on the evening of September 22.
It was reported that Heval Arslan was detained without a court order, had all her belongings confiscated, was subjected to a strip search, and was placed in a cell.
Reports say that she was threatened at the police station with being “sent to France and then to Turkey.”
Heval Arslan, who has worked for Kurdish media since 2003, including Roj TV, Med Nûçe, and Medya Haber TV, was most recently the anchor of Medya Haber TV’s main news bulletin.
Heval Arslan grew up in France and graduated from the journalism department. Despite the fact that she has worked as a journalist for many years, France did not grant her citizenship, and the Turkish consulate refused to renew her passport. As a result, she was deprived of her right to free movement and to practice her profession, forcing her to seek asylum in Belgium.
Journalist Heval Arslan is also a founding member and board member of the Kurdish Women Journalists Association RO-JIN, established in Belgium. She is currently being held at the deportation center in Bruges.
In a statement, RO-JIN emphasized that if Heval Arslan is extradited to France, her right to asylum is uncertain and there is a risk of her being handed over to Turkey.
The statement said: “France’s unjust treatment of the Kurdish press is well known. Heval Arslan’s extradition to France poses the risk of her being returned to the Turkish state. We therefore have serious concerns. As the Kurdish Women Journalists Association RO-JIN, we demand an end to this injustice and the release of Heval Arslan.”