JINHA

NEWS CENTER - Detained by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) security forces on May 19, journalist and producer with Sterk TV Gazal Avanaş (Aysel Avesta) was released yesterday by the court. Gazal thanked the people for creating a public opinion for her.

journalist and producer with Sterk TV Gazal Avanaş (Aysel Avesta) was detained at the Sehela checkpoint outside of Duhok by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) security forces on May 19 while she was going to from Shengal to Laleş the holy site for Êzidîs. Gazal was released after five days. Gazal stated that she was detained Sihêla checkpoint and she said, "I told them that I am journalist and I came from Shengal. They checked my identity card. Then, they detained me right there. They showed the reason of detention as not giving any information even if I went to there as journalist. They said, "You got around without reporting us. You had to report the peshmerga order, particulary, when you passed to war region. We are responsible here. You passed from there to Rojava that's why we are going to detain you."

"First, they alleged that I went to there to organization and politics. However, I told them that I have necessary documents with me and I gave these documents to them. They tried to politicize the event in the first investigation. I told them that I am a journalist and I have all documents. They applied pressure. However, I told them that I came here as a journalist not for political work.

"They held me an open air checkpoint for three days then they took me to women's prison on the fifth day. There wasn't any physical pressure but there was a psychological pressure. The judge told me that don't go anywhere without reporting them when I chack in officially and they decided to release me.

Gazal thanked the people for creating a public opinion for her.

(mg/gd)