Büşra Demir is an attorney-at-law from Şırnak and is on the board of directors of Şırnak Branch of the Human Rights Association (İHD). There were four investigations launched against her for the press statements issued and reports drafted on rights violations by İHD. Three of these investigations were closed following decisions of non-prosecution. Under the remaining investigation, where she is accused of being a member of an armed group and making organizational propaganda, she has given her statement. The case is on-going. Büşra Demir has been practicing law in Şırnak since 2012. Her clients are mostly victims of human rights violations in the region and those facing organizational membership charges. She has been working at İHD Şırnak Branch since 2013; and she is currently serving on its board of directors. Demir has been working on rights violations since the first days of her career as an attorney, especially the work she has undertaken with İHD focuses on documenting violations and publishing relevant reports. Among the reports she has drafted are: Uludere Report by Şırnak Bar Association concerning the Roboski Massacre on January 4, 2012; March 2015 report on the health problems faced in Şırnak T-type closed prison; analysis report on the rights violations taken place under the curfew in Cizre district of Şırnak between September 4-12, 2015. She is one of the representing attorneys of the family of Hacı Lokman Birlik, who was killed and dragged behind an armored vehicle that belonged to special police forces in October 2015. To this date, Şırnak Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office opened four investigations against Demir. These investigations mostly focused on the time period during and following the intense military and police operations in districts of Şırnak from September 2015 to April 2016. Büşra Demir has taken part in autopsies and documented torture cases during that period. Three of the investigations were closed following decisions of non-prosecution. The accusations against her in these files were: degrading the Turkish nation, the Republic, the institutions and the organs of the state; making propaganda, and misconduct. The 2016 investigation against her charged her with misconduct for the report on Şırnak T-type prison fire that ended up killing 2 children. Büşra Demir was in the delegation commissioned by İHD Headquarters that went to bring the 3 Chinese thermal power plant workers kidnapped by the PKK in August 2014. Before their departure, they had informed the Governor of Şırnak and the Chief Public Prosecutor. Upon their return, the governor formally thanked them for safely bringing back the 3 Chinese nationals. The investigation opened in 2018 accusing Demir of being a member of an armed organization and making propaganda for the organization included her participation in this delegation and photos of her taken during this mission. While she was giving her statement, she was presented with questions regarding the press releases issued for November 25 International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women in 2015 and the attack in Suruç that killed 31 young people. She was also questioned on two news articles she shared on her social media accounts, a retweet about the environmentalist struggle taking place at Artvin Kafkasör Yaylası and her tweet on Hacı Lokman Birlik, whose family she represents at court. This investigation is on-going.
