Transgender Inmate on Hunger Strike for 55 Days, Her Only Demand is to Stay in a Ward

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"We have stayed in other prisons before. We've never had such problems. Our petitions are not answered here. Our problems are not solved. A friend has been on a hunger strike for 55 days. All she wants is to go to a ward."

This is how İncilay, another transgender inmate, tells about the inside of the prison. "Our friend can turn the hunger strike into a death fast at any time. She must be taken out of the single-person cell and taken to a ward urgently," says İncilay, who is currently on a leave of absence.

All LGBTIs in cells

There are 15 LGBTI people in Alanya Type-L Prison. All of them are being held in single-person cells prepared for prisoners who receive aggravated life imprisonment. However, the penalty they received does not include solitary confinement. But because they are LGBTI people, the prison administration keeps them in solitary cells. They are also in a male prison because their identity cards are "blue".

Discrimination is not limited to this. Their petitions are not answered. İncilay says, "Maybe I wrote a thousand petitions, I did not get any response. We're being treated as absent. Yet, I see, when other prisoners request a samovar, a samovar is sent to their rooms. This is called discrimination."

İncilay summarizes what happens in prison:

"We came to this prison from other prisons. One of our friends was harassed in Denizli Prison. She was subjected to violence. She is also here. Not every prison is like this; we know because we came from other prisons. People are not treated like this. Only in this prison we observe intense discrimination and sexism.

"There is a prejudiced approach to us. None of our demands and wishes are taken into account. One of our friends had to go out of town, after all, we have the right to leave. They didn't help our friend at all to buy a ticket. Our friend couldn't buy a ticket with her own money. Instead of making our lives easier, they constantly discriminate and make here even more unliveable for us."

Describing the cells in which LGBTIs are placed, İncilay says, "Imagine a small space in which a round table and an iron cabinet fit. There are bars in their windows. The bars are covered with iron sheet. There are tiny holes on the iron sheet. How much air can get in there? We can't breathe."

Miray has been on a hunger strike for 55 days and other inmates will also begin hunger strikes to be transferred to a ward, İncilay says.

LGBTI prisoners held in Alanya Type-L wrote in June 2015 to non-governmental organizations that they were held in solitary cells and were taken to airing alone for one hour a day.

Demands of LGBTI prisoners

* Either the opening of a ward for them or to be transferred to another prison that has an available ward.

* Ensuring hygiene conditions.

* Not be blocked when they want to go to the infirmary.

* Response to petitions.

* End of discrimination and prejudice. (EMK/VK)