Kurdish writers and cultural activists, as well as PEN International, have voiced concerns over the fate of two Iranian Kurdish writers that the Turkish police have held in pre-trial detention for several months in Mardin area.

They call for their immediate release and urge support from both the international human rights organizations and the Iranian ministry of foreign affairs.

Find below the petition that demands the release of the two Iranian Kurdish writers, and click on the following link to see the Pen International statement (http://bit.ly/2n8uC6s).

“The unlawful arrest and detention of Kurdish cultural activists and writers, Jahanfard (also known as Jiyar) and Hasan Balade, in Turkey, have raised contradictory news and fears among cultural and human rights activists in the region in the past few months.

Jahanfard (Jiyar), who is a writer, journalist and researcher, has so far published several books and articles about Kurdish literature, language and culture. and he is considered a notable author with significant contributions to the field of Kurdish folklore studies in Iran.

He travelled to the city of Mardin in Turkey with his friend Balade to make contacts with Turkish publishers that would be interested in such works from the neighboring country,

Balade is an engineer who had looked forward to applying in the Mardin Artuklu University to continue his studies. He is also a Kurdish translator, journalist and researcher who has translated and written many articles on Kurdish literature and culture especially about Kurdish Kurmanji culture. He works as a board member of Hojan journal beside his other work as a Kurdish translator for the ‘’Say Hello’’ website.

The Turkish police arrested both of them in Mardin where they have remained detained for several months.

Although many efforts have been made by their solicitors and also international human rights organizations in the past few months, Turkish officials have unfortunately refrained from looking at the cases of the two Iranian nationals or making any comments about their situation while, according to their Turkish solicitors, no formal charges have been filed against these two individuals and they have been arrested and held in custody only based on baseless accusations.

The Turkish authorities have not allowed Jahanfard and Balade to have any contacts with their families after their pre-trial detention.

Their families have serious concerns over their health and safety since they have not heard from them for several months.

We the undersigned believe that Balade and Jahanfard are victims of false detention and demand that the Turkish authorities urgently free both of the two writers.

We also kindly call on all NGOs, human rights organizations, layers and individuals to speak out for their release.

We also urge the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic republic of Iran to take possible legal actions to help the release of these two Iranian citizens detained on false accusations in Turkey.”

1.Saleh Nikbakht

2.Seyed Shahab Barzanji

3.Qoteb Aldin Sadeqi

4.Aziz Nemati

5.Simin Chaeichi

6.Zeynab Usefi

7.Eta Riyazi

8.Karwan Nahri

9.Abdolkarim Soroush

10.Rahim Loqmani

11.Aras Osmaniyan

12.Shilan Khaki

13.Saeid Ebadatiyan

14.Faryad Shiri

15.Masoud Qanbari

16.Syed Mehrdad Baqeri

17.Kakshar Ormar

18.Havjin Baqali

19.Soma Rostampour

20.Fateme Karimi

21.Adnan Barzanji

22.Raoof Moradi

23.Mesood Binende

24.Bayan Azizi

25.Reza Alepoor

26.Abdoolkhder Niyazi

27.Alee Azizi

28.Ferya Unesi

29.Changiz eqbali

30.Ali hatami

31.Sherdel Elpoor

32.Mohsen amini

33.Mazhar ebrahimi

34.Farideh Yazdan Panah

35.Cevad Sheriff

36.Kumars Balade

37.Maryam Amini

38.Meysam Khorani

39.Maziyar Nazar Beygi

40.Anvar Arab

41.Sead Ahmadi

42.Hemeed Mamoodi

43.Hayran Muhameedi

44.Estere Molazade

45.Roonak Rostemi

46.Yoonis Amenpoor

47.Pirshing Hooseyni

48.Soodabe Babayi

49.Keywan Azizi

50.Masoud Shamsnejad

51.Rasoul Parvin

52.Osman Mazin

53.Amir Sajadi

54.Syed Morad Mosavi

55.Farman Ja’fari

56.Alireza Mafi

57.Farnoosh Rashidyani

58.Arash Rajabi Kermanshhai

59.Abdollahe Jahanbin

60.Hossein Moridifar

61.İslam Abbasiyan

62.Eqbal Mahdizade

63.Mostafa ahmadiyan

64.Yasin Mirzaei Kalhor

65.Arash fatehi bokanich

66.Sadon Mazoji

67.Fayeq Fayaz

68.Raoof Moradi

69.Hamed Frazi

70.Baqer Piri

71.Ahmad Habibi

72.Behrooz Zarei

73.Ali Ashrafi

74.Asa’d Yousefi

75.Siyavash Hayati

76.Hasan Karimi

77.Sharif Azimi

78.Kamal Azadmanesh

79.Ali Davari

80.floriya Mohamadpour

81.ehsan Nikpey

82.Mehdi Doa’go

83.Arshak Rouf Gonbadi

84.Sidad Shirzad

85.Basir Pad

86.Hashem Mahmodi

87.Edris Hatemi

88.Hasan Setot

89.Qasem Nahaei

90.Dalir Eskandari

91.Mokhtar Zarei

92.Loqman Rasoli

93.Loqman Resooli

94.Khabat Mangori

95.Hajar Norani

96.Abdolrahman Shokor

97.A’eishah Abollahi

98.Arsalan barna

99.Bayazid Jangali

100.Kajal karimi

101.Shirin Khezrpour

102.Haj ali Moradi

103.Mardin Rojhalati

104.Shahab Heyrani

105.Bakhshan Qalandari

106.Saber Kakemami

107.Mohsen Razavi

108.Jamal Daneshmand

109.Mandak Azizi

110.Naser Moradi

111.Sara Zinati

112.Sahar Ma’zi

113.Asoo Rahim Zadegan

114.Mohamad Mohamad Amini

115.Habibolahe Ariya Nejad

116.Shavan Taheri

117.Omid Batoo

118.Fateme Sobhani

119.Fakhoraldin Amadiyan

120.Seyran Khosravi

121.Reza Sori

122.Zolal Kamali

123.Vahid Kamali

124.Tahere Khorami

125.Mohamad Tofiq Asadi

126.Tayebe Asqarzade

127.Fateme Ardalan

128.Iraj Ebadi

129.Zilan Marivani

130.Vejin Mohamadpour

131.Faride Amini

132.Havari Hoseyni

133.Soma Shafiei

134.Afsane Behshtizad

135.Afshin Beharizer

136.Nergis Ayini

137.Nishteman Kordestani

138.Khalood Amani

139.Rishad Mooradi

140.Khashyar Rashidi

141.Farzad Sofre

142.Arsalan Abasi

143.Jamil Moradi

144.Shaker Moradiyan

145.Reza Jamshidi

146.Shoresh Azizi

147.Alireza Yaqobi

148.Vahid Nazari Kermanshahi

149.Iran Alikarami

150.Siyavash Pourafshar

151.Parisa Ja’fari Mehr

152.Omid Kalhor

153.Mohamad Javad Jaliliyan

154.Hossein Balade

155.Mehdi Khanebeygi

156.Farzad Kermanshani

157.Jamshid Veysi

158.Morad Dehbani

159.Alireza Jaliliyan

160.Shahriyar Rostami

161.Farshid Karami

162.Nasrin Shafia’i

163.Farhad Ezatizade

164.Amir Saeid Jaliliyan

165.Nasrin Tahmasebi

166.Shahriyar Tahmasebi

167.Shabnam Najafi

168.Mosa Norozi

169.Diman Parvin

170.Eqlima Qasemi

171.Ali Majidi

172.Asrin Majidi

173.Javad Ebrahimi

174.Mehdi Safari

175.Behrooz Babkhani

176.Saeid Jaliliyan

177.Sajad Aftabi

178.Iman Asadi

179.Ali Ebrahimi

180.Abozar Kheradmand

181.Ali Sanaei

182.Daryoush Moradi

183.Sohrab Moradi

184.Bayan Alirmaei

185.Parshang Amani

186.Rahmat Cheraqi

187.Mohsen Cheraqi

188.Ehasn Mohamad Rahimi

189.Fahad Karami

190.Gol jahan Jahangiri

191.Roholah Latif Nejad

192.Jabar Dastbaz

193.Hoshyar Babaei

194.Farhad Hadi

195.Bijan Heshmati

196.Akar Yasemi

197.Semko Heydari

198.Mohamad Moradi Nasari

199.Basiyat Moradi

200.Eskandar Shahriyari

201.Shahram Kamangar

202.Mohsen Maleki

203.Abas Mohamadzade

204.Sodabe Ali Mohamadi

205.Rahmat Noandish

206.Farzad Salehi

207.Farshad Soleyman Nejad

208.Ferdous Hashemi

209.Manijeh Mirmekri

210.Arsalan Hedayati

211.Aroo Sayadi

212.Keyomars Fathi

213.Jiyar Valizade

214.Seyran Manochehri

215.Reza abi

216.Ukhabe Mohamadiyan

217.Ehsan Qanbari

218.Golale Heydari

219.Kajav Yasami

220.Shahnaz Bapiran

221.Neda Rashidpour Kalhor

222.Javad Rahimi

223.Amin Rahimi Nejad

224.Hajir Hashemi

225.Milad Qaderpanah

226.Ehsan Najafi

227.Hamzae Asadi

228.Tirej Sharifiyan

229.Masoud Mohamadpour

230.Jiyar Darvishi

231.Saeid Erfan Gilani

232.Molod Mirkhanpour

233.Servat Payvar

234.Delsoz Hemati

235.Bromand Najafi

236.Homayon Abasi