Author, poet and thinker Rênas Jiyan  was born in 1974 in the Qoser village of Mèrdin in North Kurdistan. He completed his Primary, Secondary and college education in Qoser before moving to Amed (Diyarbakir) for University. 

Whilst working as a teacher Jiyan was arrested in 2002 because of his work with Kurdish language and exiled to the Black Sea region of Turkey, following his arrest. The exile ensured Rênas Jiyan was unable to continue his work. 

Returning from exile, after a short period he resigned from his position as a teacher and founded  Belkî publications in 2003. The same year he founded "Çirûskîzm" an art movement. In 2007, Çirûsk: Thoughts & Art Magazine was published.

Renas Jiyan was detained on 1st October 2016 after Turkish police raided his house. Currently under detention, Renas has been denied his basic human and legal rights. He is currently forbidden contact with his lawyers and his family is in great danger. 

Below are a list of emails of organisation we urge you to contact to bring this case as well as other similar cases to media attention. 

info@pen-international.org

info@article19.org

info@freewordcentre.com

posta@amnesty.org.tr

sct@amnesty.org.uk

b.bowring@bbk.ac.uk

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The right to free expression and press is a basic human right and being held with no legitimate explanation is both unlawful and a war against the Kurdish population.