Council, was arrested at his home in Doğubayazıt (Bazîd), Ağrı (Agirî), on 7 March and subjected to two days of torture by military personnel and village guards. He was subsequently detained and transferred to a prison in Agirî on 9 March.

His sister, Şerzan Gezici, was able to visit him on Tuesday, where she reported on the brutal treatment her brother endured.

“My brother was arrested in Doğubayazıt and tortured so severely on the way that he lost consciousness. At the police station, water was poured over his head to revive him, where he was again beaten by soldiers and village guards with an iron rod. Lastly, his fingers were crushed with pliers. He was repeatedly hit on the head, legs and nose with a weapon. When I visited him, he could barely stand,” Şerzan Gezici recounted.

She interprets the mistreatment of her brother as a reflection of the Turkish state’s attitude towards Kurds.

“What happened to my brother mirrors the state’s view of the Kurdish people. These photos reveal the state’s hate, racism and anger. As a family and as the Kurdish people, we do not accept this situation. We denounce the state’s torture system and will use all legal means available to us,” she stated.