Ramazan Şimşek, the owner of Pîne Cafe in Diyarbakır, who announced that he would serve only in Kurdish on Kurdish Language Day, was sentenced to 1 year to 8 years and 9 months in prison.
Şimşek, who was detained on May 15, 2024, was given a ban on leaving the country and 6 months of house arrest.
The prosecutor’s office claimed that Şimşek’s social media posts contained Kurdish songs and the word “Kurdistan” and constituted “illegal organization propaganda”.
His lawyer Mehdi Özdemir stated that these allegations were unlawful and that the case should be dropped. The first hearing will take place in October.
July 19, 2025
nupel