MARDİN - Democratically elected political representatives of the Kurdish people are systematically imprisoned and transferred to jails far away from their hometowns and constituencies.

Co-mayor of Mardin’s Kızıltepe district, Nilüfer Elik Yılmaz, was dismissed and replaced by a trustee on November 4th and was jailed in Mardin E Type Closed Prison on December 15.

Yılmaz has been transferred to the T Type Women’s Closed Prison in Mersin’s Tarsus district. The lawyer learned about the transfer only after going to the Mardin prison to meet her.

Mazıdağı co-mayor Nalan Özaydın, Derik co-mayor Mülkiye Esmez and Savur co-mayor Gülistan Öncü who were arrested in the recent operations against HDP municipalities, have also been transferred to Tarsus T Type Women’s Closed Prison.

Former Mayor of Nusaybin, Sara Kaya has also been transferred to Tarsus T-Type High Security Closed Prison yesterday. Kaya has been in prison since 13 January 2017. After being arrested, she was first sent to Mardin E Type Prison and on 17 February 2017 she was transferred to Van T Type Prison. This time she has been transferred to the Tarsus T-Type Closed Prison, about a thousand kilometers away from Van T-Type Closed Prison.