Supporting Grup Yorum Music Band Banned as Well

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Talat Şanlı and Taner Korkmaz, two inmates from Van Prison, have sent letters on the unlawful practices that they faced in prison in July-August.

They have told bianet that after they supported Grup Yorum music band by going on a hunger strike, they were given an administrative punishment.

As a punishment for their three-day hunger strike, inmates Korkmaz, Mecit Şahinkaya, Akil Nergiz and Murat Kaymaz have been "laid off from their paid jobs in prison for a month." The Article 38-c of the Law no. 5275 on Execution of Sentences and Security Measures governs this punishment.

That being the case, four inmates have been deprived of their wages for a month, thanks to which they make a living and cover their expenses.

The inmates objected to this punishment. However, as the Van 1st Heavy Penal Court rejected this objection, the punishment has become definite.

In addition, inmates have also been given other punishments such as not attending the events in prison and bans on communication and visitation.

Five arrested members of Grup Yorum have been on an indefinite hunger strike, requesting "an end to police raids against İdil Cultural Center in İstanbul, removal of group members from wanted lists, removal of concert bans, drop of court cases and release of arrested musicians."

Marxism and Guerilla War legal, but 'objectionable'

In his letter listing the unlawful practices that they faced in prison in September, Talat Şanlı has said, "We wish you are fine despite all the hardships you face and all these upsetting news" and continued as follows:

"Despite all this usurpation of rights that we face, even though we have been unlawfully held in single-person cells for years and in these conditions where they even make an attempt on our right to read books, we keep on standing bolt upright with our love for the the people and the country. We want that our voice not be drowned in these wells."

Some unlawful practices that they have mentioned are as follows:

"The book entitled 'Marxism and Guerilla War', which was sent to Murat Kaymaz by his brother/sister by cargo, was not given to him for weeks. Afterwards, the prison administration decided to ban the book.

"The decision of the administration indicated that 'the entire book recounts all types of war methods such as the methods, strategic, tactical, technical, raid, defense and field conditions of guerilla wars.' However, there is no decision of confiscation for the book and it is sold at bookstores.

"The book named 'Guerilla Movements in Latin America' sent to Taner Korkmaz from another high-security prison has been banned on the same ground. There is no decision of confiscation for this book, either. Any book that has the word 'guerrilla' in it is arbitrarily banned.

"The objection lodged by Yusuf Kenan Dinçer after the book entitled 'Handbook of City Guerilla' was banned has been rejected by the Van Judgeship of Execution. This book has also been legally published and distributed since 1960." (AS/SD)