During the military siege of the district Nusaybin in Mardin province, a total of 70 people were evacuated from the district and subsequently arrested on May 26, 2016. 17 of those affected were minors. They were severely tortured after getting arrested.

Five of the youth were sentenced to 35 years imprisonment each in Mardin today.

Before the verdict, Heja Alğan, who was 15 years old at the time of his arrest, said: "We stand trial because we are Kurds. In Nusaybin women and children were killed. Chemical weapons were used. What has happened there will go down in history. It has been proven that the State told only lies. Democratic autonomy was proclaimed there and it was a legitimate demand. I also protest against the isolation of Öcalan. The state wants to close the gates Imrali once again with its special war policy. However, it will only itself harm itself. Talks with Mr. Öcalan benefit both the Kurdish and the Turkish people. The problem cannot be solved with operations. The Turkish state claims to be finishing the PKK since it was founded but they can’t do this. Interior ministers come and go, but the PKK remains.”