MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Amed – Rights violations in Turkey’s prisons continue to increase. The prisoners deprived of their right to life in many prisons have started hunger strikes against rights violations; however, the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) remain silence against the rights violations in Turkey’s prisons. In the last nine months, 50 sick prisoners, including those who were released from prison, have lost their lives. Lawyers Association for Freedom (ÖHD) Diyarbakır branch member and lawyer Adile Salman spoke to NuJINHA about the ongoing rights violations in prisons.

“The prison regulations have increased the torture”

Speaking about the oppressions and legal obstacles against prisoners, Adile Salman said that all prison regulations put into practice by Turkey have been turned into a disadvantage for the political prisoners. “Prisons in Turkey have become centers for torture for years,” she said that new regulations on prisons in January of 2021 have further increased the torture against prisoners.

“The room where prisoners are treated is next to the morgue”

Indicating that isolation is imposed on prisoners, who live in isolation, Adile Salman said, “Prisoners kept in Diyarbakır Women’s Closed Prison were subjected to strip search during the last exile. Strip search is a common practice in many prisons. Another right violation against prisoners is the transportation of sick prisoners to hospital for treatment as handcuffed. In addition, sick prisoners are subjected to mouth searches at hospitals. The room where prisoners are treated at the Diyarbakır Training and Research Hospital is next to the morgue.”

“50 sick prisoners have died in the last nine months”

“Most of prisoners have not been able to access their right to health since the beginning of the Covid-19,” Adile Salman said that sick prisoners are subjected to persecution while being transferred to hospital and being examined at hospital. “50 sick prisoners have died in the last nine months because the state has not fulfilled its obligations. Some of them died after being released from prison. This means people are released to die.”

“Punishments are used as threats”

Adile Salman also talked about   arbitrary disciplinary punishments imposed on prisoners in order to not release prisoners, who have already completed their prison sentences. “Disciplinary punishments are often imposed on prisoners. This arbitrary punishment is practiced not only in Diyarbakır’s prison but also in all Turkey’s prisons. These disciplinary punishments are arbitrary without any ground. When prisoners shout slogans when they are subjected to physical intervention, they receive disciplinary punishments. Disciplinary punishments are used against prisoners as treats.”

“Prisoners are asked for money when they request a Kurdish translator”

“Prisoners are deprived of their right to life, health, legal rights and mother tongue,” Adile Salman pointed out, saying, “One of the rights violations faced by prisoners is against their right to defend themselves in Kurdish, their mother tongue. Most prisoners are deprived of their right to defend themselves in Kurdish by courts. They are told, ‘You can write in Turkish so you can defend yourselves in Turkish’. When prisoners request a Kurdish translator, they are asked for money. When prisoners do not accept this, courts rule that the prisoners use their right to remain silent.”

 “International organizations are not involved in these processes”

 Pointing out the silence of the CPT against rights violations in Turkey’s prisons, Adile Salman said that prisoners have started hunger strikes in many prisons against rights violations. “There is a system of isolation in all Turkey’s prisons. We, as lawyers, continue to initiate all legal procedures against the ongoing rights violations in prisons. We have applied to international organizations about the rights violations in prisons; however, our applications on this issue may be rejected for different reasons. What hurts us the most is the silence of the CPT even though we have already reported many cases of torture. International organizations are not involved in these processes. Prisoners have recently started hunger strikes in many prisons and the number of these hunger strikes will possibly increase since prisoners face more rights violations every day.”