Kurdish politician, writer Mahmut Alınak behind bars for 10th time

Duvar English

Kurdish politician, writer and lawyer Mahmut Alınak has been put behind bars for the 10th time.

Former pro-Kurdish HEP deputy detained over books

The 68-year-old former People's Labor Party (HEP) deputy was detained on Feb. 13 during a raid at his home in the eastern province of Kars.

Four days later, on Feb. 17, the Kars Chief Public Prosecutor's Office referred Alınak to the court with a demand of his arrest on charges of “terror organization membership.”

Despite his health problems, the court ordered Alınak's arrest and the former HEP deputy was put behind bars for the 10th time.

On the second day of his detention, Alınak had told his lawyer: "The fight for dignity has always been a part of me since childhood. I am in the fight for dignity. Intellects like me need to be arrested. Don't worry about me."

Alınak's son lawyer Bişar Alınak had also released a statement at the time, saying: “My father's health is good and he is in good spirits. In the raid conducted in our house, there were nearly 50 police and special operations teams. It was as if there was a war-operation. Such an execution against someone who would go the prosecutor's office if he were asked to, is abuse of powers.”

A video recorded by Bişar Alınak showed his father being handcuffed by the police on Feb. 17 as he was dispatched to jail following the court's decision.

In the video (shared by Peoples' Democratic Party MP Murat Çepni on Twitter), Mahmut Alınak is heard telling to the police that their handcuffing him is “illegal” and that they “are misusing their authority.”

Mahmut Alınak tutuklandı. Yetmedi zorla kelepçe takılmaya çalışıldı. pic.twitter.com/r8No83m1Sa

— Murat Çepni (@MuratCepniHDP) February 17, 2020

As the reason for the arrest, Alınak is accused of criticism of the Turkish government, among other things, Mezapotamya news agency reported.

Other accusations reportedly include his conversations with relatives, a proposal to mediate between two quarreling families and his attempt to raise public awareness about environmental protection by collecting garbage together with garbagemen.

Alınak is also accused of having donated the income of his banned book "Mehmet Tunç and Bêkes" to the family of Mehmet Tunç, the co-chair of the People’s Assembly (a local council), who died in one of the basements of Cizre in the southeastern province of Şırnak in 2016 during military curfews.

Orhan Tunç was with his brother Mehmet Tunç when the basement they had taken refuge in collapsed in a bombing. Orhan Tunç’s son Bêkes was later named in honor of his father’s legacy -- which means “all alone, solitary, one who has nobody” in Kurdish.

The book was banned when it was sent to an inmate in a prison in Kars.