A 16-year-old child in Izmir was detained for sharing a hair braiding video on social media and was arrested on charges of “organization propaganda” and sent to Shakran Children’s Prison. The Izmir 39th Criminal Court of First Instance rejected the appeal against the detention on February 12. The child’s lawyer, Edhem Kuruş, stated that the arrest violated the principle of “last resort” for children and announced that they would appeal to the Constitutional Court. Father Halit Kaya said that during a prison visit, his daughter told him she had been psychologically affected, subjected to strip searches, and beaten in her cell. Lawyer Kuruş stated that prison conditions were incompatible with the principle of the child’s best interests.
February 12, 2026
bianet