Black Metal Band Sarinvomit Arrested and Forced to Split Up

Five members of the Turkish black metal band Sarinvomit were arrested on September 16, 2025, on charges of “insulting religious values” and “inciting the public to hatred and hostility.” As part of the sentence, the band has reportedly been forced to disband and remove all music from streaming platforms. This is a highly unusual case, especially considering that Turkey is partly located in Europe. Seeing musicians arrested and legally compelled to split up is, thankfully, extremely rare in any European country.

The investigation, launched by the Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, focuses on the band’s lyrics and several social media posts believed to be connected to the musicians. According to authorities, the detained members — identified as B.S., Ç.Y., G.K., İ.A.K., and K.R.Ç. — were taken into custody as part of a growing inquiry into material allegedly created or promoted by the band.

Band Members Deny the Accusations

After being processed at the police station, the musicians were transferred to the Anatolian Courthouse. In their statements to the prosecutor, all five denied the accusations, claiming they neither performed the songs referenced in the case nor published the social media posts under investigation. They insisted they were being targeted solely for being musicians and denied any involvement in the content cited by authorities.

Court Orders Arrest

Despite their statements, the band members were referred to the on-call criminal court of peace, which ordered their arrest on suspicion of “inciting the public to hatred and hostility or humiliating.” They were subsequently sent to prison while the investigation continued. The musicians were released on October 20, but the consequences for the band have been severe.

All Sarinvomit releases have been removed from major streaming services, including Spotify. Their Facebook page has disappeared, and their Instagram account has been set to private, displaying a short message in the bio: “Split-up in 2025, band is not active anymore.”

Background

Founded in 2013, Sarinvomit built a reputation for their aggressive musical style, provocative imagery, and lyrics critical of religion — a common theme in black metal. However, coming from a predominantly Islamic country, their lyrics also included criticism of Islam, which appears to have contributed to them becoming a target of their government’s strict policies.

The case has sparked renewed debate in Turkey about artistic expression, censorship, and the limits of free speech, particularly when it comes to extreme music genres.

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