Imprisoned Kurdish singer Nudem Durak: I want to be free before I lose my voice

 Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Jailed Kurdish singer Nudem Durak is trying to be heard before she loses her voice in prison.

Sentenced to 19 years in prison with the lyrics of the Kurdish songs that she sang cited as a reason, Durak has been in prison for the past seven years.

Various campaigns have been launched internationally demanding her freedom. However, she is still kept behind bars in M Type prison in Bayburt province of Turkey.

She has got graves' disease and bone thinning in prison and is worried about graves' disease, which could harm her vocal cords.

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This time Durak gave a message from prison via a phone call she made with her family members.

She sang the song "Çiyayên me" in her weekly phone call with her family and called for solidarity, Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reported.

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"I want to be free before I lose my voice"

First, Durak stated that she is worried about graves' disease that she has been suffering from.

"I have fears. Sometimes I can not breathe. If I could be free, I could prevent my disease from getting worse, but I can not do it in a place like here. I want to be free before I lose my voice" Durak said.

Durak addressed an appeal to the artists, inviting them to mobilize for all imprisoned artists.

"Artists should be in solidarity with each other. At least, they should try to join hands with the artists who are behind bars so that they can express themselves from prison. Which they do. Whether we are outside or inside, we see how concerts are canceled and blocked, but the artists outside still can be in solidarity with the artists inside. "

What happened?

Nudem Durak, a Kurdish musician from Turkey's southeastern Şırnak province, was imprisoned several times for singing in Kurdish.

Sentenced to a total of 19 years in prison in two separate cases against her, Durak has been in prison for the past seven years.

She is suffering from various diseases including graves' disease and bone thinning, which could harm her vocal cords.

Speaking about her condition, Nudem Durak's mother, Hatice Durak, said, "She did nothing other than singing. She was arrested for singing in Kurdish ... I haven't seen my daughter for two years. People from my family went to visit her but were not allowed to do so."  (EMK/TB/VK)