Rising overcrowding and reports of human rights abuses in Turkish prisons are making life increasingly difficult for prisoners. In the eastern province of Van, arbitrary practices, limited access to healthcare, hunger strikes, and prisoner deaths are becoming more common, highlighting the severity of human rights violations in the region.
According to the Justice Ministry, as of May 1, 2023, there were 403 correctional facilities in Turkey with a total capacity of 295,328 inmates. The most recent figures from the Civil Society in the Penal System Association (CİSST) indicate that 356,865 prisoners are held in 404 prisons across the country. As of May 2, 2024, there were 13,819 women inmates, along with 552 children living in prisons with their mothers.
Reports of human rights violations are frequently emerging from several high-security prisons in Van, including Van High-Security Closed Prison, Van Type-T Prison, Van Type-M Prison, and Van Type-F High-Security Prison.
Inadequate access to healthcare
The Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD) reports significant barriers to healthcare, particularly for seriously ill prisoners. Inmates suffering from conditions such as heart disease are often denied access to medical treatment, with other sick inmates facing long delays in being transferred to infirmaries or hospitals. It can take up to three weeks for requests to visit the prison infirmary to be processed, and hospital transfers may be delayed by up to four months. Prison authorities cite overcrowding as the reason for these delays.
The reports also detail the mistreatment of prisoners during cell searches, with personal belongings being damaged and books confiscated. Additionally, prisoners are reportedly denied access to media, such as radios, televisions, and newspapers, without clear justification.
Arbitrary delays in release
Another issue in Van’s prisons is the delayed release of inmates based on claims of “poor conduct.” In one case, an inmate named Y.A. was due to be released on Oct 14, 2023, but his release was postponed for alleged misconduct. Many other prisoners have reportedly had their conditional release dates extended arbitrarily by prison authorities without proper judicial review.
Deaths in prisons
Between 2018 and 2023, the Justice Ministry reported 2,258 deaths in Turkish prisons. In 2023 alone, the Human Rights Association (İHD) documented at least 42 inmate deaths, including 23 who died due to untreated medical conditions and 10 under suspicious circumstances.
Speaking on the situation, Mehmet Salih, president of the Van branch of the Human Rights Association, condemned the arbitrary bans on publications and the isolation of prisoners from the outside world. He also criticized the extension of inmates’ sentences by administrative committees without court rulings, calling the practice unlawful.
Sevim Çiçek, a representative of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey’s Van branch, echoed these concerns, highlighting the severe problems in accessing healthcare. She pointed out that inmates must wait at least three weeks to visit the infirmary, a delay that worsens their health conditions. Additionally, she raised concerns about the unhygienic conditions of prison wards, where inmates' basic needs are not being met.
Muzaffer Şinas, the father of an inmate named Nihat Şinas, voiced concerns over his son's treatment in prison. Nihat, who requires surgery for a nerve injury, has not received adequate medical attention. Muzaffer also noted that family visits were obstructed because they spoke in Kurdish, and he urged authorities to provide proper treatment for his son as soon as possible. (ZS/VK)