Meral Şimşek

Şimşek is a Kurdish writer targeted for her poetry and other writings. She faces multiple trials on spurious “terrorism” charges. In June 2021, she was detained while trying to flee Türkiye by Greek authorities and was deported after being beaten and strip searched. In October 2022, she was convicted of “making terrorist propaganda” and sentenced to 15 months in prison. She now lives in exile in Germany.