Musicians jailed for singing Kurdish songs at a wedding in Hakkari

Local musicians who sang Kurdish songs at a wedding in Hakkari province were imprisoned on charges of ‘making illegal organisation propaganda’.

Weddings in three different neighbourhoods in Hakkari city centre were raided by the police on the grounds of ‘political songs’. According to reports, local musicians and the host in Sümbül neighbourhood were detained on the allegation of ‘making propaganda of an illegal organisation’, while cameramen filming the wedding were called to testify in the morning.

The wedding host and the cameramen who filmed the wedding were released after giving their statements at Hakkari Provincial Security Directorate, while the members of the music group ‘Koma Özgün’ were referred to the courthouse to give their statements to the prosecutor's office.

Four members of the music band were remanded in custody on charges of ‘making propaganda for an illegal organisation’.

The arrests came at a time of increasing attacks against Kurdish citizens dancing to Kurdish music in various cities of Turkey in recent days. Dozens of people were detained and over 20 were remanded in custody as part of the state operations directed against the music and dance of the Kurdish people.