Political detentions and arrests continue increasingly in North Kurdistan in the pre-election period. While 10 people were detained in Dargeçit district of Mardin in house raids this morning, 5 of 10 people, who were detained on 20 April in Batman have today been formally arrested.

Police and special anti-terror units raided houses this morning in Dargeçit district of Mardin at 04:00, detaining 10 people including the brother of Abdulkerim Seyhan who was shot dead by the gendarme during the Kobanê protests in October. The detainees have reportedly been taken to police HQ in Mardin.
The father of one of the detainees, Abdurrahman Ötker, told that the police raided their house early morning after breaking the door, acting with brutality against him and his wife as well as his son who -he said- was beaten before being detained.

Zeliha Seyhan, the mother of Rıdvan Seyhan and Abdulkerim Seyhan who was killed by the gendarme in Kobanê demos, said that the a policeman said to them “You are terrorists, probably you also have ammunition at the house” when he saw the pictures of Abdulkerim and PKK flag hanging on the wall. Zeliha Seyhan said the detentions and the house raids were being carried in pre-election period to intimidate the Kurdish people.

In the meantime, 5 out of 10 people, who were detained in house raids in Batman on 20 April, have today been formally arrested by a court on the grounds of “being member to the YDG-H” organisation.
While five among them, including a 14 year-old, were released on conditions of regular control, 5 others have been arrested for alleged membership to an illegal organisation. The arrested have been taken to Mardin M Type Prison after the court hearing.

On the other hand, a 24-year-old civilian who was detained by police in Bulanık district of Muş yesterday was taken to a court in Güroymak district of Bitlis. The youth by the name of Fatih Tüfenci was arrested and sent to Bitlis E Type Closed Prison for allegedly being member to an illegal organization.