A German activist has said she was raped by a Turkish official and subjected to other forms of abuse at a removal center in İstanbul in January after being detained with a group that had traveled to southeastern Turkey in solidarity with Syrian Kurds, the Bianet news website reported.
Paula Maier described the alleged abuse during an event this week, saying the official raped her while she was being held alone in a cell at the removal center. She also alleged that other members of the group were subjected to physical, psychological and sexual abuse during their detention.
Maier said the group members were prevented from sleeping, sitting down or leaning against walls, and were kicked, insulted and spat on. She also said officers forced the group to watch videos depicting torture and abuse.
A video of her remarks was released on Wednesday by the Federation of Class Struggle Organizations (FKO), of which she is a member.
The FKO condemned the alleged abuse, while the European Kurdish Women’s Movement (TJK-E) called for an investigation into her allegations and for those responsible to be held accountable.
The group of 16 German activists and journalists, which included Maier, was detained in late January while traveling from Diyarbakır to Mardin, where they planned to attend a press statement in solidarity with Syrian Kurds amid fighting between Syrian government forces and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
The group had traveled to southeastern Turkey to draw attention to the humanitarian situation in northern and northeastern Syria and document alleged human rights violations. Lawyers said at the time that they were initially denied access to the detainees and were not informed of the official grounds for their detention.
The activists were subsequently transferred to a removal center in İstanbul and deported to Germany. At the time of their detention, Germany’s Left Party called for their immediate release, saying several members of the delegation were affiliated with the party.
Turkish authorities also stopped an international civil society convoy known as the “People’s Caravan,” which was traveling to the region for the same purpose, at the border and prevented its members from entering Turkey.
Turkish authorities have not publicly responded to Maier’s allegations, and there has been no announcement of an investigation into her claims.
The allegations come amid longstanding criticism from human rights groups over torture and ill-treatment in Turkey, particularly in police custody and detention facilities.
According to the Global Torture Index 2025, released by the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), Turkey is in the second-highest risk tier among 26 countries assessed, citing widespread allegations of torture, unchecked police violence and legal and institutional barriers that block accountability.
