Call for an Effective Investigation into Torture of Death Fasting Prisoner Mustafa Koçak

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After Mustafa Koçak told his attorney that he has been subjected to torture and forced intervention since the 254th day of his death fast at the hospital of İzmir Şakran Prison, rights organizations and İzmir Bar Association have taken action to meet him and raise concerns about his condition.

CLICK - Attorney: Death Fasting Inmate Subjected to Forced Intervention, Torture

Speaking to bianet about the issue, İzmir Bar Association Chair Özkan Yücel has noted that they, as İzmir Bar, has assigned lawyer(s) to meet Koçak and listen to him about what he has been going through. He has also added that they are making efforts to have a face-to-face meeting with him.

The Human Rights Association (İHD) and Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) will hold a statement for the press in İzmir today (March 18).

TİHV Chair Prof. Dr. Şebnem Korur-Fincancı has also spoken to bianet about the condition of Mustafa Koçak and indicated that they listened the allegations of torture. Korur-Fincancı has stressed that it is especially unacceptable that such a deed has been done by physicians.

'No one can be treated without his or her own consent'

"Forced intervention is already a serious method of torture, which would cause a drastic mental strain on a person who rejects being treated," TİHV Chair Korur-Fincancı has said and briefly stated the following:

"And, on top of that, he tells his attorney that he is tied and given serum. It is unacceptable that physicians do such a deed. It means a violation of both ethics and the biomedical convention* on their part. No one can be treated without his or her own consent."

She has also noted that Koçak should urgently undergo a comprehensive examination by independent physicians whom he will allow and an effective investigation should be conducted into the allegations of torture.

"More importantly, the demands of death fasting people should be heard by the authorities and the conditions that will lead to an end to their hunger strikes should be established," Korur-Fincancı has concluded. (AS/SD)

* Article 5 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Being with regard to the Application of Biology and Medicine says that "an intervention in the health field may only be carried out after the person concerned has given free and informed consent to it."