MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Amed- Z.A.B and her five-year-old twins were detained for wearing Kurdish traditional clothes while celebrating Newroz in Bismil on March 19, 2022. After the mother and her twins were subjected to strip search and mistreatments in custody, the mother applied to the Human Rights Association (IHD) and filed a criminal complaint against police officers. The Bismil Public Prosecutor has decided not to prosecute the investigation launched into the incident because there is no footage revealing the strip search and mistreatment against the mother and her twins by police officers.

5-year-old children were subjected to strip search!

The statement of Z.A.B. that included the investigation document, Z.A.B. said that they had been subjected to strip search twice. She also said that she went to the Newroz Celebration area with her twins in Bitlis on March 19; however, female police officers stopped them at the checkpoint and forced them to take off their traditional clothes. Then, two female police took her into custody along with her twins. Z.A.B was subjected to strip search in custody by female police officers.

She was subjected to strip search again!

Indicating that her twins were also subjected to strip search in custody, the mother said that they went to the celebration area again after being released. Police officers stopped her at the checkpoint again and said to her, “We took you in custody before, why do you come here again?” The mother was subjected to strip search there again by female police officers.

She was held at the police station for hours!

After returning to their home, police called her to go to the police station because there were some missing parts in her statement. When Z.A.B. went to the police station, her mobile phone was confiscated and she was held at the police station for hours. Z.A.B. filed a criminal complaint against police officers. An investigation was launched into the police officers. The Bismil Public Prosecutor has decided not to prosecute the investigation because there is no footage revealing the strip search and mistreatment against the mother and her twins by the police officers.

The mother faces an investigation

Although the mother and her twins were subjected to strip search and mistreatment in custody, an investigation was launched against the mother in charges of “propagandizing for a terrorist organization” for wearing Kurdish tradition clothes. The prosecutor decided not to prosecute the investigation stating that the mother had no link with the (terrorist) organization.