‘49 prisoners lost their lives this year’

* Photo: Mezopotamya Agency (MA)

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The Human Rights Association (İHD) Central Prisons' Commission held a press conference at the İHD Central Office in İstanbul today (November 19) and expressed its demand for the protection of right to life in Turkey.

The conference of the Commission was attended by İHD Co-Chair Öztürk Türkdoğan, Central Executive Board Member Nuray Çevirmen and Central Prisons' Commission Member Dilan Ateş.

'Quarantine wards pose a grave danger'

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), Öztürk Türkdoğan took the floor at the conference and underlined that the "Law on Criminal Enforcement", which was published in the Official Gazette on April 15, 2020, was discriminatory, leading to the release of criminal organization leaders.

"Journalists, students, lawyers and, especially political prisoners were kept behind bars even though they did not commit any violent acts and they are still held behind bars," Türkdoğan protested.

İHD Central Prisons' Commission Member Ateş also said, "According to our statement in March, as far as we could detect, there were 1,564 ill prisoners in Turkey's prisons and 591 of them were seriously ill. According to our findings today, this number has increased. However, we know that the number of ill prisoners are much higher than what we detect."

Raising concerns over the hygiene problems in prisons, she noted, "COVID-19 proves fatal especially for people with chronic diseases. Since April 15, four seriously ill prisoners aged over 70 have lost their lives."

According to her statement, 49 prisoners have lost their lives in 2020 so far. "15 prisoners allehedly committed suicide," Ateş has said and added:

"A vast majority of ill prisoners cannot go to hospital because they do not want to stay in quarantine wards.While they are not in a state to sustain their lives on their own, it is reported that, in some prisons, prison cells are turned into quarantine rooms by the prison administration, these rooms are not hygienic and they are so narrow and stuffy that one cannot breathe.

"It is obvious that the quarantine wards where ill prisoners are held for 14 days after they return from hospital pose a grave danger."

'Open prisons to the civil society inspection'

Ateş also listed the demands of the Human Rights Association (İHD) within this context. Underlining that "all incidents of death were preventable," Ateş said, "Sufficient measures must be taken against the incidents of death in prisons, which are getting more and more frequent and perpetual; prisoners must be ensured to access their right to healthcare and all conditions compatible with human dignity must be provided so that people' physical and psychological integrity can be protected."

Reminding the authorities that the right to light has been guaranteed by both Turkey's domestic law and international conventions, Ateş also underlined that "the right to life must be protected without making any differentiations and all necessary measures must be taken" within this context.

She also underlined that penal institutions must be opened for the inspection of civil society organizations. (AS/SD)