Fifty refugees, including Kurdish journalist Nuri Akman, were taken into custody in Romania. 35 of them were deported to Turkey. Akman and 3 Kurdish politicians are being held at the airport and many more refugees in an immigration center in the city of Araf.

Journalist Nuri Akman is on trial because of his journalistic activities in Turkey and faces some 100 years in prison. Akman had to leave Turkey because of the repression he faced and reached Greece. He applied for political asylum here but, despite staying in long time in the country, the Greek government did not give a positive response to the asylum request.

Akman then crossed together with other Kurdish politicians and Kurds from Macedonia to Serbia and from there to Romania. Approximately 50 people, including Akman, were detained during a raid on a hotel in Timisoara on 13 November. The detainees were taken to a detention center in Timisoara, where fingerprints were taken. Five days later, 35 people from the interior, despite asylum was delivered to Turkey.

Akman crossed with Kurdish politicians and Kurds from Macedonia to Serbia and from there in Romania. Approximately 50 people, including Akman, were detained in a raid on a hotel in Timișoara, Romania on 13 November. The detainees were taken to a detention center in Timișoara, where fingerprints were taken. Five days later, 35 people were deported to Turkey, despite their pending asylum request.

Rohat is one of those young refugee. He said that many Turkish and Syrian refugees are in prison in Timisoara. Stating that they were detained for almost a week, the young man added that they were subjected to inhuman treatment.

S.Y. has also been deported to Turkey. Stating that they were detained as a result of a raid on a hotel, S.Y. said that they were kept in front of the hotel with reverse handcuffs for 6 hours in cold weather and added: "They first took us to the Interpol center, where we were kept outside for a few hours in cold weather. Later, they kept us without food for 2 days. Neither our request for a lawyer nor our asylum application were accepted, they did not even processed them. We were threatened by a translator here. He said to us ‘We will kill you and chop you up’. After being held here for two days, they took us to an immigration center in the city of Arad. This place is like a prison. A place with small cells. Here they put us in a cell downstairs and tortured us with batons.”

The young man continued: “It was an inhumane treatment. Children's voices were also coming from the lower floors, and a 17-year-old teenager was there. We stayed here for 4 days. Then they said they would take us to a camp in Bucharest on the morning of 18 November and put us on a bus. Towards the evening we arrived at the airport instead. Although we said we wanted asylum, they tried to forcibly get us on the plane by beating us. I, Nuri Akman, Lokman Coşkun, Serbest Derin and another old man resisted and did not accept. They handcuffed us. The others got on the plane because they had their identity documents with them. Since I and the old uncle had an identity, they forced us into the plane. In total, 35 people got on the plane. Lokman, Nuri, and Serbest remained there and we fear for their life. Serdar Bilgiç, on the other hand, is still staying in that prison called immigration center in Arad, and fear for the lives of those there."

Held at the airport

Journalist Nuri Akman, Serbest Derin and Lokman Coşkun, are still waiting at the airport after refuting boarding the plane. The lawyer who went to the airport yesterday evening was not allowed in and even no information was given.