Human rights groups draw attention to hunger strikes in prisons

A coalition of human rights organizations gathered at the Tahir Elçi Conference Hall in Van Bar Association to unveil a report on prison conditions.

The report, compiled by the Van Bar Association, Freedom for Lawyers Association (ÖHD) Van Branch, Human Rights Association (İHD) Van Branch, Solidarity and Assistance Association for Families of Detainees (Tuhay-Der) Van-Colemêrg Medical Chamber, and Health and Social Service Workers Union (SES) Van Branch, is part of the "Hunger Strikes Monitoring Coordination."

The prisons examined in the report include Van F Type, Van High-Security, Patnos L Type, Ahlat T Type, Trabzon Beşikdüzü T Type, Bayburt M Type, and Rize Kalkandere L Type.

Hunger strikes

Ebru Demirtepe, a member of ÖHD, provided insights into the report, highlighting that in some prisons, daily health checks for the hunger-striking prisoners were neglected. She stated, "In some prisons, hunger-striking inmates are provided with salt, sugar, and baking soda, but essential nutrition such as yogurt and fruit juice is not given. Particularly in Van F Type Prison, hunger-striking prisoners are denied provisions, and they are not allowed to shop from the canteen with their own money, turning the hunger strike into a virtual death fast due to these restrictions imposed by the prison administration."

Disciplinary investigations have been initiated due to the hunger strikes, according to Demirtepe. She mentioned, "In some prisons, disciplinary penalties such as 'deprivation from cultural and sports activities' and in some, 'deprivation or restriction of communication and communication tools' have been imposed on hunger-striking prisoners. In some prisons, hunger-striking inmates are isolated from other prisoners, placed in a separate ward, and kept away, which has been conveyed to us."

İmralı prison

Demirtepe urged the Ministry of Justice and the parliament to address the hunger strikers' demands, emphasizing the importance of examining their demands, ensuring compliance with national and international regulations, and promptly arranging family and lawyer visits for Abdullah Öcalan and other prisoners in İmralı Closed Island Prison.

She concluded, "Isolation is a clear violation of the right to life. Prisoners in İmralı Island Prison have the same rights as prisoners in other Turkish prisons."

Political prisoners in many prisons began a periodic and rotating hunger strike on November 27, 2023, with demands including an end to human rights violations in Turkish prisons, improvement of worsening prison conditions, termination of the long-standing isolation conditions on Abdullah Öcalan and other prisoners in Imralı High-Security Closed Prison, and the provision of family and lawyer visitation rights, as well as a democratic solution to the Kurdish issue. (AS/VK)