Kurdish worker dies after detention in Japan

Murat Çiçek, a Kurdish screenwriter, actor, and worker living in Japan died at a police station where he was taken following a traffic accident involving property damage. The family of Çiçek announced that he was detained on Jun 25 and died on Jul 3, but they were only informed five days later. The cause of death remains unknown.

Çiçek had been living since 2019 in Kawaguchi, a city where many Kurdish immigrants have settled, and was taken to the Takao Police Station in Hachioji after the accident. According to his relatives, his phone was confiscated, and he was not allowed to see anyone, including a lawyer, after his detention.

The Kurdish and Japanese friends of Çiçek went to the police station three times to get information but were only told that he was in custody. The situation was later reported to his family living in Germany.

An official from the Turkish consulate in Japan contacted the family on Jul 8 to inform them about Çiçek's death citing Japanese authorities. 

The family traveled to Japan on Jul 10 to handle the funeral procedures and follow the process. Demanding answers as to the conditions under which Çiçek died and why the information of his death was not disclosed for days, the family stated that they suspect the possibility of mistreatment and torture.

Çiçek was preparing to return to Hakkari

According to his relatives, Murat Çiçek was planning to return to his hometown of Hakkâri in September. He reportedly told the last person he spoke to before being detained, "I will ask them to send me directly to Turkey."

Murat Çiçek worked various jobs after moving to Japan and continued his passion for cinema under difficult conditions. Last year, he starred in the film Minna, Oshaberi!, which focuses on the communication efforts between a Japanese person and a Kurdish person, both of whom are hearing impaired. The film was included in the Tokyo International Film Festival program.

While in Turkey, Çiçek played supporting roles in some projects and also worked briefly as an actor and screenwriter at the Beşiktaş Kültür Merkezi. (ET/EMK/VK)