Yusif Şerif, Mehmud Naçi, Kovan Tarıq Cubrail, Emced Yusif and Neçirvan Hacı from Sheladize, who have been held behind bars by South Kurdistan’s ruling party KDP for two years, are not released from prison despite having completed their sentences. The prisoners, who were set to be released after Eid al-Adha in accordance with a court order, are yet to be set free.

The lawyer for the prisoners, Beşdar Hesen, stated that the release of his clients had been halted due to the intervention of political parties. He said that the five prisoners had gone on a death fast, refusing to eat.

“A few days ago, lawyers and the Parliamentary Commission on Human Rights asked about the reason for the denial of release, but received no response,” Hesen added.

During a hearing on 16 May 2022, the court board sentenced each of the imprisoned activists to 2 years in prison for "aiding the PKK, forming an armed group and organizing protest demonstrations".

Speaking after the trial, a lawyer for the five young men, Ramazan Ersin, noted that the five activists in question had already been imprisoned for 17 months and that they would be released a month later as the judge ruled conditional release.

According to the conditional release law of the Kurdistan Regional Court, prison sentences are reduced by a quarter, and a two-year jail time is thus abated to 18 months.