Arrested Journalist and Artist Draws 'Oldest and Youngest Fellow Inmates'

Journalist and artist Zehra Doğan, who has been imprisoned since June 2017, has drawn pictures of Sise Bingöl (86) and toddler Dersim (2).

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Arrested Journalist and Artist Draws 'Oldest and Youngest Fellow Inmates'

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Arrested journalist and artist Zehra Doğan drew pictures of two fellow inmates; 85-year-old Sise Bingöl and two-year-old toddler Dersim.

The drawing was shared on Doğan's Twitter account with a message saying, "New picture from Tarsus Prison: I drew the oldest prisoner of the ward, Mother Sise (86) and the babiest prisoner Dersim (2)."

Tarsus Cezaevi'nden yeni resim: Koğuşun en yaşlı tutsağı Sise Ana (86) ve en bebek tutsağı Dersim (2) pic.twitter.com/Zyq9jZhYod
— Zehra Doğan (@zehradoganjinha) January 25, 2019

"We did not tell Mother Sise the conclusion of the report"

Doğan sent a letter to the Mezopotamya Agency (MA), saying the following on Sise Bingöl:

"Mother Sise is done with the Council of Forensic Medicine. They gave a report that says 'She can stay in the prison'. Her blood pressure is very high and she cannot eat anything. They confiscated the letter we wrote about her condition. They temporized all the time, told her that she will leave [the prison], and now they say she can stay. We did not tell her not to upset her."

Who is Zehra Doğan?

Graduated from Southeast Dicle University as a teacher of arts, journalist and artist Doğan beginning since the foundation of JİNHA (Women's New Agency) in 2012 until its forcible closure in 2016 worked as a reporter and editor for the agency.

She reported from the Mardin province and districts since Jul. 24, 2015 when the clashes erupted and curfews were imposed and painted the pictures of the conflict areas.

She was detained on Jul. 23, 2016 in Nusaybin from where she was reporting, and was later arrested under charges of "membership in a terrorist organization" and "terrorist propaganda". Doğan was released on Dec. 9, 2016 by a Mardin court, yet she was sentenced to 33 months in the final hearing on Mar. 22, for sharing her paintings on the social media and reporting on the notes of a 10 year old girl Elif Akboğa.

Following the endorsement of her sentence by the local appeals court Doğan was jailed on Jun. 12, 2017 and placed in Diyarbakır Prison and transferred to the distant Tarsus Maximum Security Prison after winning the IWMF award.

During the time when Doğan was residing in the Diyarbakır Type D Prison, the prison administration did not provide her with necessary equipment. Doğan, then, produced dye from plant roots and menstruation blood. She drew paintings using the dye.

Famous muralist Banksy in protest of her conviction reflected Zehra Doğan's painting with the legend "She is convicted to 2 years 9 months and 22 days for painting this picture" and posted his graphic depicting Doğan behind bars.

(EMK/VK)