Support in Front of Prison for Prisoners on Hunger Strike

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A statement for the press has been issued in front of Bakırköy Closed Women’s Prison upon call of Initiative of Solidarity with Dungeons (ZDİ) to show support for the prisoners on hunger strike and explain their condition.

The press statement read out by ZDİ co-spokesperson Arif Yılmaz has made a call for solidarity with the prisoners on hunger strike.

Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK) representatives, Saturday Mothers, HDK Co-Spokesperson Kılıç Koçyiğit and HDP İstanbul MP Filiz Kerestecioğlu participated in the statement.

At the end of the demonstration, a 5-minute sit in was staged for hunger strike and that Gülsev Kaya from the Initiative of Solidarity with Captives, Kaya, Koçyiğit and Kerestecioğlu delivered speeches.

Kerestecioğlu noted that of the imprisoned MPs Nihat Akdoğan, Ayhan Bilgen and Meral Danış Beştaş will go on hunger strike tomorrow (April 1).

Kaya: The hunger strikes have passed over 40 days

Saying that they staged this protest to be a voice for the hunger strikes, Kaya went on:

 “There are places where the hunger strikes have passed over 40 days.

“The rights, which prisoners have won by fighting for years, are tried to be destroyed by means of Statutory Decrees and State of Emergency (OHAL).

“The captives will resist in the dungeons and we are going to be their voice”.

Koçyiğit: They use OHAL as an excuse for their practices

Stressing that the government doesn’t take enough responsibility, Koçyiğit said:

“We are here to be a voice to the political captives who took their bodies to hunger strike and their rightful and honored fight against the political authority that overlooks their democratic demands.

“The state carries out unlawful practices every day by using the OHAL as an excuse since July 15. We call on the government to act in responsibility to ensure their right to live”.

Demands of the strikers

Nazari explained the demands of the hunger strikers:

* Heavy isolation conditions for PKK’s imprisoned leader Abdullah Öcalan be lifted

* Bans and destruction in Kurdish cities be ended

* Bad attitude against the prisoners be changed. 

64 prisoners in total

As of today (March 30), the prisons in which hunger strikes continue and the number of days the strikers carry out the hunger strike are as follows:

* 33 prisoners including five women from Şakran Hospital are on 44th day.

* 16 prisoners from Edirne Prison on 34th day.

* 8 prisoners from Van Type-T Prison on 23rd day.

* 7 women prisoners from Sincan Women Prison on 36th day.

Furthermore, HDP Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş and party’s Hakkari MP Abdullah Zeydan declared to go on hunger strike due to “unlawful practices in Edirne Prison and no step being taken to stop hunger strikes”. (TP/AS/TK)