Inmates Punished for Performing 'Halay' Dance in Patnos Prison

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Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Ağrı MP Dirayet Dilan Taşdemir has submitted a parliamentary question, stating that mistreatment of political prisoners in Patnos Type-L Prison is increasing.

The information that the prison administration had acted arbitrarily and contrary to human rights towards prisoners and convicts was given to them by the families of the inmates, Taşdemir said.

"Many rights violations continue at the Patnos Type-L Prison, such as sick prisoners not to be transferred to the hospital, prohibition of taking baths, confiscation of their books, and arbitrary prevention of their visitation and telephone rights.

"Prisoners are given various punishments for performing halay [a folk dance] and a detainee with severe schizophrenia is held in a single-person cell.

"Although parliamentary questions and inquiries have been submitted to the Ministry of Justice and petitions have been submitted to the Human Rights Commission at different times regarding the rights violations experienced in Patnos Type-L Prison, these problems continue to occur."

People performing halay in the Newroz celebrations in Diyarbakır in March 2019.

When was the last time the prison was inspected?

In the motion, Minister of Justice Abdülhamit Gül was asked to answer the following questions:

• Has a delegation been assigned to supervise the Patnos prison, based on the recommendations we have already submitted to your ministry, because of the arbitrary and anti-human rights attitudes of the prison administration towards prisoners and convicts? When was the last time the Patnos prison was inspected?
• Is there an investigation initiated in line with the rights violations experienced in Patnos Type-L Closed Prison?
• Has there been any investigation into prison wardens and mistreated staff?
• What is the reason for preventing sick prisoners from being transferred to the hospital, preventing them from taking baths, collecting their books, and preventing their right to telephone and vision?
• What is the reason for holding a prisoner with severe schizophrenia in a single-person cell? Who is responsible if something happens to the sick prisoner?
• Is there a legal regulation that it is a crime to performing halay in prisons? (AS/VK)