* Photo: Mezopotamya Agency (MA)
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An investigation has been launched into the death of Serkan Tumay (27), who lost his life in the Kırıkkale Type F Prison.
The prison administration told his family that he had "died as a result of a judicial incident", asking them to take the deceased body on Saturday.
Gökhan Tumay, the elder brother of the deceased prisoner, stated that there were signs of trauma on his brother's body and that Serkan Tumay had also been beaten in prison before.
As reported by Gazete Duvar news website, after the family found his death suspicious, they appealed to the Kırıkkale Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and filed a criminal complaint about the incident.
Upon this complaint, an investigation has been launched and the prosecutor's office has decided that the footage of surveillance cameras in prison be examined as part of the investigation.
'He got his arm broken before'
As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), Serkan Tumay's elder brother Hakan Tumay has indicated that his brother had been in Kırıkkale Type F Prison for six years and briefly added the following:
"In these six years, we appealed to the Manisa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office for at least six times due to battery and torture.
"When we talked to my brother before, he was saying that 'he did not have life safety there.' Most recently, we filed another criminal complaint by appealing to the Manisa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and we were told that 'they would deal with it.'
"My brother was staying with another person in a three-person ward. His fellow inmate told us that the wardens were beating and battering my brother. My brother had his arm broken due to the beating and he had fractured bones in certain parts of his body.
"They took him to hospital upon our criminal complaint. As the other prisoner staying in the same ward with him had informed us about it, they separated them. They put my brother in another ward on his own.
"Yesterday they called my mother from prison and told us to 'go and take his deceased body.' The document says that it was a 'death as a result of a judicial incident.' They did this knowingly and willingly.
"My brother lost his life due to torture. If we live in a state of law, it needs to be handled by the judicial bodies without being covered up. Whoever the responsible parties are, they need to be found as soon as possible."
'My son said, "Save me"'
Hasibe Tumay, the mother of the deceased prisoner, has also said that the last time, her son told her 'to save him' and added:
"My son told me, 'Mom, wardens are assaulting me, they are beating me. They are going to kill me. I don't know how many times they attacked me with sticks.' My son had his arm broken, his head swollen... How could he die on his own in prison? I could see neither my son in prison, nor his dead body. I am so sorry, I can do nothing else..." (EKN/SD)