LGBTI in Prison Kept in One-person Cells

Approximately 50 LGBTI and right organizations have called to stop keeping LGBTI prisoners in Alanya L-type Closed Prison in one-person cells.

LGBTI prisoners request either a dormitory for themselves or be dispatched to another prison with dormitory.

One-person cell, unaccompanied outside break

LGBTI prisoners in Alanya L-type Prison had sent a letter to NGOs in June 2015 informing that they were being kept in one-person cells and let outside to get fresh air once a day and alone.

With respect to the above mentioned request of prisoners Civil Society Organization for Penal System (CİSTT) had applied to Ministry of Justice by petition on July 3 and requested to stop keeping prisoners in one-person cells with reference to an ECHR decision, which convicted Turkey of keeping a homosexual prisoner in a one-person cell for eight months.

Prison Governor: There is a lack of space

Subsequently attorneys linked to Antalya Bar Association Alanya Women Rights Committee had visited the prison on October 8 and confirmed the number of LGBTI prisoners kept in one-person cells as 14.

During the visit of the attorneys prison governor had justified this practice with arguments that “the capacity of the prison was limited to 480 prisoners yet there were over 1,600 convicted and prisoners, a massive lack of space had occurred, lately a part of the cafeteria had been transformed into a dormitory, the prior struggle of the prison administration was to provide security of prisoners lives, it was difficult to give homosexual prisoners separate dormitories, physical conditions would not allow introducing separate dormitories, homosexual prisoners were actually not kept in cells but in one-person dormitories, there was a great number of prisoners requesting to stay in these one-person dormitories, homosexual prisoners were perceived negatively and maltreated by others and therefore the administration wouldn’t let homosexual prisoners out to fresh air together with others”.

“Cell confinement should be revoked”

Right organizations issuing a press statement relating to the matter and demanding to bring LGBTI prisoners to same joint dormitories have stated that “this practice is a maltreatment to say the least and keeping prisoners who were not sentenced to cell confinement in one-person cells is against the law”.

The press release included following statements:

“Keeping LGBTI prisoners in Alanya L-type Closed Prison in one-person cells must be stopped. One-man cell imprisonment is unacceptable even as  disciplinary punishment. Cell confinement is a maltreatment and torture per se and must be revoked. Therefore prisoners kept in Alanya in one-person cells must in accordance with their own will be either transferred to a new dormitory in this prison or to another prison with a dormitory where they can come together and necessary initiative to revoke cell confinement should be launched immediately”.

Signees: Afyon LGBTİ Kuruluşu, Akdeniz Pembe Caretta LGBTQ, Bilgi Gökkuşağı, Boğaziçi Üniversitesi LGBTİ Çalışmaları Kulübü (BÜLGBTİ), Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Sosyal Hizmet Kulübü (BUSOS), Bursa Özgür Renkler LGBTİ, Ceza İnfaz Sisteminde Sivil Toplum Derneği (CİSST), Cinsel Şiddetle Mücadele Derneği, Çağdaş Hukukçular Derneği İstanbul Şubesi, Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Eşit Şerit Topluğu, Edirne LGBTİ Çalışma Grubu, Erktolia, Erzincan Katre Kadın Oluşumu, Flu Baykuş, Görülmüştür, Hebun LGBT Diyarbakır, Hevi LGBTİ, İnsan Hakları Derneği Genel Merkez , İnsan Hakları Derneği İstanbul Şubesi, İnsan Hakları Derneği Sakarya Şubesi, İstanbul LGBTİ Dayanışma Derneği, İzmir LGBTİ İnisiyatifi, Kaos GL, KESK Kadın Meclisi, Keskesor LGBTİ Diyarbakır Oluşumu, Kırmızı Şemsiye Cinsel Sağlık ve İnsan Hakları Derneği, Lambda İstanbul Derneği, LGBTİ Aileleri ve Yakınları Derneği (LİSTAG), Liseli LGBTİ, Mahsus Mahal, Malatya Gökkuşağı LGBTİ İnisiyatifi, Mersin 7 Renk LGBTİ Derneği , Moira Kadın Dayanışma Derneği, MorEL LGBTİ, Muş Kadın Derneği (Mukadder) , Özgürlükçü Hukukçular Derneği, Pembe Hayat LGBTT Dayanışma Derneği , Pozitif Yaşam Derneği, Sınır Tanımayan Kadınlar / Göçmen Kadınlarla Dayanışma Grubu, Siyah Pembe Üçgen İzmir, Sosyal Politikalar Cinsiyet Kimliği ve Cinsel Yönelim Çalışmaları Derneği (SPoD), T-Klüp, Toplumsal Dayanışma İçin Psikologlar Derneği, Toplumsal Haklar ve Araştırmalar Derneği, Trabzon Mor Balık LGBT, Yeni Demokrat Kadın, Yoğurtçu Kadın Forumu, Queer Documentaries. (ÇT / DG)