Sevil Rojbin Çetin

Sevil Rojbin Çetin is a Kurdish politician from Turkey who served as the co-mayor of the Edremit district in Van Province. She is a member of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) and a prominent women's rights activist within the Free Women's Movement (TJA).

Political career

In the 2014 Turkish local elections, Çetin was elected as the co-mayor of Edremit representing the Democratic Regions Party. During her tenure, she focused on local administration and women's advocacy.

Removal from office

On 26 August 2015, Çetin was dismissed from her mayoral duties by the Turkish Interior Ministry following declarations of self-governance in the region. She was later replaced by a state-appointed trustee. This removal was part of a wider pattern of dismissals of HDP and DBP mayors in southeast Turkey, a move criticized by organizations such as Human Rights Watch.

Activism and legal proceedings

Following her removal, Çetin continued her work with the HDP's Democratic Local Administrations Board and the Free Women's Movement.
In June 2020, she was detained in Diyarbakır as part of a political investigation. Her arrest drew international attention due to allegations of inhuman treatment and torture by law enforcement during the raid on her home. Human rights groups, including FIDH, issued urgent appeals regarding her health and legal status.