SORGUL ŞÊXO

Hasakah- On October 9, 2019, the Turkish state and Turkish-backed factions occupied Serêkaniyê (Ras al-Ayn) and Grê Spî (Tell Abyad). Since the Turkish occupation, many people have been subjected to many inhuman practices such as torture, arrest, detention, rape and more. NuJINHA spoke to a woman, who was held in the military prison in occupied Serêkaniyê for a while.

 ‘I was subjected to torture for 20 days’

The woman asked us to keep her identity confidential for security reasons. Being arrested on February 6, 2020, the woman was released from prison after one year, six months and 18 days in prison. When the Turkish state began to attack Serêkaniyê, she and her family members had to leave their house. When everything became calmer, she returned to her house to pick up her belongings.

“When I was at home, MIT (Turkish Intelligence Organization) agents and the members of the Turkish-backed factions raided our home. They arrested me, claiming that I was an agent of the YPG. I was questioned for 13 hours by some MIT agents and members of the factions. They held my head in water. Then, they tortured me. I was subjected to torture for 20 days. They tortured me to extract confessions.”

‘I was held in a cell without light for two months’

Despite the torture, she denied all accusations against her. “They held my head in water until I was out of breath. I was not given food or water. I was held in a cell without light for two months. I was labeled as a ‘Terrorist’. The MIT agents and the members of the factions watched me in prison for nine months. Then, they tortured me, saying, ‘Tell us you are a member of the YPG’. I was told I would be released from the prison if I told them some names.”

The woman asked MIT agents to show evidence that confirmed their accusations. “They used all kinds of inhuman practices against me but they failed. I was threatened to be held in prison forever. One day, they claimed that they had documents against me. Despite everything, I denied all the accusations. The more I denied the accusations, the more they tortured me.”

 ‘The world should see the lies of the Turkish state’

“The world should see the lies of the Turkish state,” the woman said, “During the torture, I heard the cries of a man. An incident occurred in Serêkaniyê and that man was at the scene. MIT agents and the members of the factions recorded a video of that man and forced the man to extract confessions. Many people confessed the crimes that they did not commit by torture.”

 ‘Women brought from Hol camp were imprisoned’

Pointing out that there is a connection between the Turkish state and ISIS, the woman said, “A year and a half later, some women were brought from Hol camp to the prison. Some of them were innocent women. They were imprisoned. Some of them were members of ISIS.  They separated us from each other. Four days later, they were sent to Turkey. They spoke Turkish very well and they were not tortured. The MIT agents told me that I would be held in prison for 30 years.”

She was released after paying 5,000 dollars

The woman was released from prison after one of her relatives paid 5,000 dollars to MIT agents and the members of the factions. “They still follow me everywhere. Being free and breathing freely is a miracle for me right now.”

 Many innocent people are held in prison’

The woman reported the torture against her in prison to the human rights organizations and the UN after being released from the prison.

She said, “Many innocent people are still held in prison. They are forced to make false statements and then they are recorded. The international human rights organizations must take a step now to end the ongoing torture in the prison. The situation of the people held in the prison is worse than mine.  The human rights organizations should take a step to save these people from this nightmare. They should go to the prison before it is too late.”