Zehra Doğan

DİYARBAKIR- Jailed journalist and painter Zehra Doğan interviewed with Lice Co-mayor Rezan Zuğurli, who was sent to prison along with her baby on August 17. Rezan answered Zehra’s questions and she said, “Before I was fighting for my people and now I will fight so my child and the children live free.”

Lice Co-mayor Rezan Zuğurli was dismissed from her duty and a trustee was appointed in her place on February 10. On August 17, she was subjected to physical violence and taken into custody. Rezan was later sent to Diyarbakır E-type Prison along with her baby and then she was exiled to Van T-type Prison. While Rezan was held in Diyarbakır E-type Prison, she answered the questions of Zehra Doğan, editor of JINHA closed down by an emergency decree.

Two jailed women commented on the process of seizing the municipalities and on political genocide operations and they share their interview with readers of JIN NEWS.

*Oppressions on you as Zuğurli family have been going on for years. And now you are facing the same oppressions as co-mayor. What are your comments on that?

As family, we have faced many difficulties until now. We spent years with oppressions and ‘oppressors’. I was jailed between 2012 and 2013 when I was a student. I was released after 13 months. After being released, I kept my path again. I worked for the party and I was elected as co-mayor. I faced many difficulties during that period. They always followed me. Particularly, the Interior Ministry sent people to investigate the municipality in order to dismiss me from my duty. They prevented me from doing my duty. I was always under threats and they imposed psychological pressure on me. Despite everything, as co-mayors and municipal council members, we continued to do our duties.”

*What are your comments on the trustee’s obstacles on your works and on the seizure of municipality?

Our authority was taken from us before the appointment of the trustee. They tried to debase us by preventing our works. The municipality was seized after the appointment of the trustee on February, 2017. The people can only dismiss the mayors elected by people. They looked for a way to seize the municipality and they did. The ministry inspectors and appointed trustee didn’t find any corruption of the municipality. Despite that, they seized the municipality.

*Could you tell us more about your imprisonment process?

The government, which didn’t find anything to arrest me after 8 months of the usurpation of the municipality, approved the decision dated 2012 reversed by the Supreme Court and officially took me captive. Because, we have faced a government that cannot tolerate even our breath outside. For this reason, this situation didn’t surprise me. They take not only me captive but also my 15-month-old baby Alişer. They don’t even tolerate our children. They want to take revenge on our children. Of course, being here is not an end for us; on the contrary it is a beginning for us. It becomes a beginning for Alişer, too. Because, I saw many mothers and children here when we came here. This situation gives us solidarity power. We will keep our struggle in order to prevent our children from being jailed.

Now I am in prison with my baby. Besides that, we are exiled on our lands. Alişer was born as a free baby on these lands and now he is a captive baby; a baby exiled from his hometown. But this situation doesn’t intimidate me; it makes me stronger. Before I was fighting for my people and now I will fight so my child and the children live free.

*Oppressions on Lice (district of Diyarbakır) continue. What are your comments on increasing oppressions?

An annihilation policy has continued in Lice for years. The people of Lice have been subjected to oppression and they have been forced to leave their lands. These people are resisting people and they always resist. For this reason, they will never accept the oppressions on them and they will never leave their lands. I know very well that the war on civilians will be ended by the struggle of the people. As a person from Lice, I learn many things from the people of Lice. Even if I am held captive here, I am still with the people of Lice as their co-mayor.