COVID-19 Measure in Prison: ‘A Bar of Soap was Given Two Months Ago’

* Photo: Pixabay

Click to read the article in Turkish

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Ağrı MP Dirayet Dilan Taşdemir has submitted a Parliamentary question regarding the difficulties experienced by 72-year-old ill prisoner and former MP Halil Aksoy in prison amid novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

In her Parliamentary question addressed to Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gül, Taşdemir has shared the following information:

"According to the latest data shared by the Human Rights Association (İHD), there are around 280 thousand people behind bars in Turkey's prisons, the capacity of which is 220 thousand. There are 1,1334 ill prisoners among them and 457 are in serious condition.

"As the number of prisoners in wards exceeds the capacity and prisoners cannot eat properly or benefit from the sunlight sufficiently, the immune systems of several arrestees and convicts have weakened and several chronic diseases have broken out.

"In the days of outbreak, when hygiene is very important, prisoners are at risk as hygiene and disinfectants are expensive and inadequate in prisons.

'Does quarantine last a few days in prisons?

In her Parliamentary question addressed to Minister of Justice Gül, Taşdemir has recounted the condition of Aksoy as follows:

"Arrested in Kandıra No. 2 Type F Prison and having several chronic diseases, 72-year-old former HDP Ağrı MP Halil Aksoy has shared the following information with his family in their phone call:

"No hygiene products are given for protection from the virus, he has been given a bar of soap two months ago and when they want to buy these products from the canteen, they are told that there are not any.

"A patient with high blood pressure, prostate disorder, loss of vision as a result of cornea abrasion and sensation loss in his arm, Halil Aksoy has also indicated that the medicine that he uses for the treatment of his chronic diseases are given to him late, the arrestees who get sick are taken out of the wards and put into one-person wards and they are sent back into their former wards after being followed up for a few days."

'Will prisoners be given free nutrients?'

Taşdemir has asked Minister Gül the following questions:

"How many ill arrestees and convicts are there in prisons of Turkey? How many people in the risk group are there in prisons? How many convicts have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and in which prisons?

"Is it within your knowledge that political prisoners in Kandıra No. 2 Type Prison are not given cleaning products? Why is the medication of former MP Halil Aksoy, who has chronic diseases, given late?

"Will you look for a humane and legal solution for the situation of ill prisoners in prisons? In the event that no solution is found, who will be responsible for the deaths that did and will occur?

"Do you have any works to ensure that arrested and convicted people will be provided with free nutrients that will strengthen their immune systems and supplied with hygiene products swiftly and free of charge?" (AS/SD)