Lütfiye Duymak is mother of five, and one of her children is only three years old. Duymak, who lives in Şırnak’s Cizre district, was detained on March 26 and she was imprisoned after six days in custody. The woman is accused of “membership to a terrorist organisation”, PKK, on the basis of witnesses’ statements, a book found in her flat and the interviews she gave about what she went through during the process of destruction by state forces three years ago.

The woman’s husband, 51 years old Mahmut Duymak, was burned alive alongside dozens of other people during the 79-day long curfew that was declared in the district on 14 December 2015.

20-year-old Fırat Duymak, one of the sons of the couple, recalled that his mother had been arrested during the curfew period as well. He said his mother was hospitalized during police custody due to stomach problem, and was denied medicine.

“They are doing this for intimidation”, said Duymak and pointed out that Turkish police forced his mother to serve them as a spy before her detention.

“Like all the other residents of Cizre, we have always been under pressure. After the mass killings in Cizre, Turkish authorities gave my mother 5 kilos of bones, saying “Take this, it is your husband”. While we are yet to overcome this pain, they are jailing my mother now. They are twisting the knife and deepening our pain,” he said.

“My mother just told the truths in the interviews she gave. Besides, lawyers also said that those interviews do not constitute a crime. My mother stood up for her children after she lost her husband, and we held on to her.”

Recalling the unidentified murders committed during the 90’s, Duymak said nothing has ever changed since. “We have seen nothing but destruction. There are countless families that have not found the bones of their beloved ones yet. There can be no solution with arrests and killings. People want their freedom and language. There can be no solution with war. Peace must prevail.”