Criminal complaint about rights violations in Diyarbakır juvenile prison

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The Children's Rights Center of the Diyarbakır Bar Association has filed a criminal complaint regarding the rights violations at a juvenile prison in Diyarbakır.

Starting from May, the Prison Commission of the center periodically visited the Diyarbakır Juvenile Closed Penal Institution for three months to observe rights violations, it said.

After making 53 interviews with 32 children, the commission said it had a strong opinion that the child prisoners suffered physical and psychological violence, threats, peer bullying and violations of rights to adequate food, healthcare, communication and education.

The bar association filed a criminal complaint about these issues on September 7, it added.

Food whipping and torture

According to the report prepared by the commission, physical violence on the children included foot whipping and beating by multiple correction officers.

"In one case of violence, it is stated that an officer pressed on the mouth of a crying child," says the report.

"It is stated that the number of channels on the television in the ward is very few, there are no channels that would contribute to the development of children, and some of the existing channels were deleted arbitrarily and without reason.

"It is observed that the products used for the cleaning of the wards are purchased by the children from the canteen. It has been concluded that this situation has caused a serious economic problem, a significant part of the limited financial support provided by the families has been allocated to this and this issue has created a significant grievance."

"It is stated that the food served as two meals a day by the prison administration was generally too fatty and had a bad taste, that similar food is constantly being served, and that the problem could not be resolved although they repeatedly conveyed their complaints about these issues to the prison director and prosecutor.

"When this question was conveyed to the prison guards by the members of the delegation, it was stated that they received the same meals as the children, that they did not eat the food most of the time, and that they were disturbed by the situation." (AÖ/VK)