‘Prisoners on hunger strike in 107 prisons of Turkey for 49 days’

* Photo: İHD

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The Turkish Medical Association (TTB), Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV), Human Rights Association (İHD), Lawyers for Freedom Association (ÖHD) and Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD) held a press conference about the hunger strikes in prisons today (January 14).

In the conference held in the İHD Ankara office, it was underlined that today marked the 49th day of indefinite-alternate hunger strikes in 107 prisons.

On November 27, 2020, prisoners announced that they went on an indefinite-alternate hunger strike with the following demands: The violations of human rights in prisons should be ended; the aggravating conditions of execution should be improved; the severe segregation and isolation in place in İmralı Prison for a long time should be ended; the inmates of İmralı Prison should be allowed to meet their families and lawyers.

There are three prisoners in İmralı Prison apart from Abdullah Öcalan, the leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

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'Violations have increased amid pandemic'

In their joint statement, the legal, occupational and rights organizations demanded an end to violations of rights in prisons.

"There have been violations of rights in Turkey's prisons for a long time and this situation has become permanent," said the organizations and underlined that "especially with the enactment of the amended Law on Criminal Execution by COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse, the conditions of execution have been aggravated for the convicts of Anti-Terror Law (TMK)."

"Along with the pandemic conditions, the violations of rights have gradually increased," the organizations underlined further.

"There were also other hunger strikes for the prisoners held in İmralı High Security Type F Closed Prison and isolation was temporarily lifted as a result of these strikes; however, the bans on visitations have been again in effect since August 7, 2019," said the organizations and added:

"This situation is against the United Nations (UN) Nelson Mandela Rules, the recommendations of the Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) and the Law no. 5275 on Criminal Execution.

"The Ministry of Justice must immediately end this unlawful practice and let them have their visitations with both their lawyers and families."

'They must be given medical care'

The organizations underlined that "the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Health, Parliamentary Committee on Human Rights Inquiry, Ombudsman Institutions and all other relevant institutions and organizations must fulfill their duties to end violations of rights in all prisons, to treat prisoners in a manner compatible with human dignity, to eliminate the treatment of prisoners falling within the scope of the prohibition of torture, ill and degrading treatment and all other violations of rights, to ensure that ill prisoners are treated without interruptions and their quarantine conditions upon their return from prison do not turn into torture through isolation."

They also noted that "the prisoners on a hunger strike must undergo regular medical examination, their nutritional requirements must be met according to protocols and they must be provided with medical care."

"We call on the Ministry of Justice and relevant institutions to take action to end the violations of rights and remove isolation as soon as possible so that the lives of hunger striking prisoners are not put at risk."

The organizations also announced that they set up a Monitoring Coordination to closely follow the process of hunger strikes:

"As the Monitoring Coordination, we will take the necessary initiatives on the central and local level and report this situation, thereby contributing to the formation of a democratic public opinion." (AS/SD)