Four out of 12 people who had been detained in Van and Hakkari last week have been remanded in custody on Wednesday.

Police and special operation teams had raided a number of houses in the province of Hakkari (Colemêrg) in early morning hours on 14 September. Eleven youngsters were taken into custody in the raids which as usual came at dawn; Metin Adıyaman (23), Ziya Demir (23), Mahser Didin (23), İmdat Özer (26), Mesut Tek (18), Serhat Bor (18), Ercan Akış (21), Deşvan Aslan (23), R.A (17), M.Ö (16), Y.Ö. (15). Among those detained by police was the son of BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) Hakkari provincial chair Rahmi Akdağ whose house was also raided and searched in detail in the operation.

One other person was detained by police in Van on the same day.

Minors R.A (17), M.Ö (16) and Y.Ö. (15) were referred to the public prosecutor of Hakkari to give their testimony. The public prosecutor released R.A and demanded the arrest of the other two who were therewith referred to a vacation court. The court sentenced the two minors to prison for allegedly “contravening the law on meetings and demonstrations” and “damaging public property”. The minors have been sent to Hakkari Closed Prison.

The court board said that the two could be released on bail of TL 10 thousand.

On the other hand, the testimony of nine others above eighteen was taken by the public prosecutor of Van who released three of the detainees, Emrah Biçer, Deşvan Arslan ve Ercan Akış, and referred the others, İmdat Özer, Mesut Tek, Serhat Bor, Mahser Didin, Soner Çelik Ok and Mazlum Akgül, to court, demanding their arrest.

The court released Serhat Bor, Mahser Didin, Soner Çelik Ok and Mazlum Akgül pending a trial, and ruled sentence of imprisonment on two others, İmdat Özer and Mesut Tek, for allegedly “contravening the law on meetings and demonstrations” and “damaging public property”. Özer and Tek were sent to Van F Type Closed Prison.