Antalya prisoner launches hunger strike after alleged severe torture

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Held in Antalya Type-S Closed Prison, Burhan Barut, an ill prisoner, stated in a fax he sent to his family on July 10 that he had been subjected to torture by prison staff, Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reported.

Barut described how he had trouble breathing during and after the torture and was prevented from obtaining a medical report for the injuries. He also mentioned that there were cameras where the torture occurred and requested an investigation into the footage, but no action was taken.

In his message, Barut wrote, "They hogtied me with iron cuffs. They tried to kill me, but whatever happened, they didn't. If they had been 20 minutes late, I would have died from suffocation."

Barut emphasized that the public should hear what happened, saying, "There is no turning back for me. You don't need to come here. The way things stand, you will come to collect my body. I will fight to end torture, and I expect the same from you."

He declared that he started a hunger strike on July 7 in response to the ill-treatment he experienced.

Parliamentary inquiry

Green Left Party deputy Beritan Güneş Altın submitted a parliamentary inquiry to the justice minister, asking the following questions:

Has any investigation been initiated into the torture Burhan Barut was subjected to in Antalya Type-S Closed Prison?

Is there any examination of the claims that torture, including the infamous 'hog-tie' method used by the Hezbollah organization, has become systematic in Antalya Type-S Closed Prison and other correctional facilities?

Is it true that, upon the instruction of the institution's director, a torture team led by a chief guard named Ömer was formed in Antalya Type-S Closed Prison? Has any investigation been conducted regarding this matter?

Has any public personnel been subject to an investigation regarding the torture Burhan Barut faced during his time in Tekirdağ Prison? If such an investigation took place, what measures were implemented?" (NT/VK)