PRAGUE – Czech Republic citizen Markéta Všelichová went to Rojava in 2015 to offer her support in the war of the Kurdish people against ISIS mercenaries and was arrested in Turkey with her husband Miroslav Farkas while trying to cross from Turkey to South Kurdistan in 2016.
Všelichová, who spent 4 years in prison in Turkey, talked about her experiences in her book ‘We fought for humanity’.
Introducing her book in a program held in Prague last Tuesday, Všelichová talks about her long struggle that started in Shengal and went on in Rojava. Všelichová also tells about the years she spent in a Turkish prison. She shares her memories of her Kurdish friends in prison and a photo album she prepared from Shengal and Rojava in the last part of her book.
Visiting Rojava with her husband and daughter Arien in April, Všelichová went to Raqqa, where she met old friends and visited refugee camps. Všelichová, who is actively fighting for Rojava in her country, the Czech Republic, said that she wants to contribute more to the Kurdish community here.
Time in prison
Markéta Všelichová went to Shengal to provide humanitarian aid for the first time in 2015 and went from there to Rojava. She was arrested at the border while crossing to South Kurdistan in August 2016 with her husband, Miroslav Farkas.
Turkey accused Miroslav Farkaš and Markéta Všelichová of belonging to YPG that has been battling Islamic State militants with the aid of U.S. airstrikes. Turkey considers YPG a terrorist group. Turkish prosecutors said that material was found on their phones showing photos with the YPG, sound files and YPG marching music.
The two were arrested Nov. 13, 2016 in Sirnak province while trying to cross Turkey’s border to Iraqi Kurdistan. Czech officials rejected they had anything to do with terrorism.
Všelichová and her husband were charged by a court in Şırnak on charges of being YPG members and aiding, and were sentenced to 6 years and 3 months.
These sentences caused a crisis between the Czech Republic and the Turkish state. The couple, who stayed in Şırnak, Şakran and Erciyes prisons for 4 years, were eventually released in July 2022 as a result of pressure from the Czech government. The couple, who speak Kurdish very well and named their new-born daughter Arien in Kurdish, continue their work for Rojava.
