Conscientious Objector Süver Starts Death Fast

Conscientious objector İnan Süver, detainted at the Balıkesir Prison (southern Marmara region), decided to turn his hunger strike into a death fast after he has denied any food intake for ten days.

Süver said that he did not regret what he has done. He stated that he was not going to serve in the Turkish military and that he knowingly chose this way. He claimed to be ready to bear what he was going to face after this. He talked to his wife Remziye Süver during her visit to prison on 14 September.

"He starts a death fast"

Remziye Süver informed bianet about the latest conditions. She said that her husband was utterly exhausted and week and that this process had to end by any means.

She mentioned that her husband did not know why he was detained for such a long time. He was going to be transferred to the Gülhane Military Medical Academy (GATA) two months ago due to psychological problems. However, the referring decision had not been received by court yet and thus İnan Süver was not able to go to hospital. His wife told bianet that after ten days he turned his hunger strike into a death fast on Friday (16 September).

"İnan is treated as if he was a terrorist"

According to the law, three health checks per day are compulsory for inmates who are on hunger strike. Remziye Süver reported that nobody took any care of her husband and that the prison doctors failed to do any health controls.

She summarized her husband's problems, "İnan does not want to stay together with convicted criminals because they are bothering him a lot every time a soldier is being killed and tensions increase in the country".

"Moreover, the convicts are being encouraged by the prison management. When the guards forced İnan to leave his cell and go to a larger room, they told the other convicts 'Take this traitor to the fatherland and tame him a bit'", Süver recalled.

"İnan tried to escape to the roof through the ventilation shaft when the convicts in the cell were about to beat him. He was trying to reach the roof and reiterate his request to be transferred to the political prisoners or a single cell. But he fell down from the height of two to three metres before he reached the roof".

"The convicts and the prison management permanently treat İnan as a 'terrorist from the PKK' [separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party]. So İnan is asking, 'Since I am a terrorist, why am I not staying in the cell of the political prisoners'", Remziye Süver reported.

She continued, "İnan ran out of patience with all he experienced. He did not commit any crime. He just did not want to do his military service. Nevertheless, he is being detained under very grave conditions. Despite his experiences he does not regret [his decision]. If not wanting to fight is 'terrorism', then he became a 'terrorist'". Remziye Süver emphasized her husband's determination on turning his hunger strike into a death fast. (EKN/VK)