International activists and artists have called for the release of Kurdish singer Nudem Durak, who has been imprisoned in Turkey since April 2015 for performing songs in her native Kurdish language.
Ten years after her arrest, global calls grow for the release of Kurdish singer Nudem Durak, who was sentenced to 19 years in prison by Turkish authorities on charges widely condemned as politically motivated. Durak suffers from serious medical issues, and her family say her health is in serious decline. She has reported mistreatment in prison, including isolation and abuse by prison officers.
Marking the anniversary, prominent artists and activists have joined forces under the #FreeNudemDurak campaign to demand her immediate release and the liberation of all political prisoners in Turkey.
A joint campaign video, shared on X on 29 April, features famous artists including System of a Down’s Serj Tankian, Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja, Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore, Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, as well as British musicians Brian Eno and Peter Gabriel, American singer Tunde Adebimpe and Nigerian singer Seun Kuti.
In the video, the artists note that Turkey is undergoing a historic moment, with ongoing talks between the government and the Kurdish democratic opposition. They express hope that Ankara will “respond favourably to this peaceful appeal”.
“Today, more than ever, let us show solidarity with all political prisoners in Turkey,” they urge, singling out Nûdem Durak as a symbol of the struggle. “Nûdem was born in a village destroyed by war. She has now been behind bars for ten years.”
Former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, French-Chilean musician Ana Tijoux, and Tunisian singer Emel Mathlouthi have previously lent their voices to the campaign.
Durak was sentenced in April 2015 to 10 years 6 months in prison on charges of “promoting propaganda” for singing in her native Kurdish. Despite no new charges, her sentence was extended to 19 years in July 2016. She is currently incarcerated at Bayburt M-Type Women’s Closed Prison in northeastern Turkey.