Inmates Given Solitary Confinement for ‘Insulting President’ with Caricature

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In a letter addressed to bianet, Emrah Yayla, an inmate held at the Bolu Type F Prison, has written that six inmates, including himself, have been punished by a 10-day solitary confinement for allegedly "insulting the President" with the caricatures published on the monthly magazine that they issue in prison:

"A 10-day solitary confinement has been given to me, Candaş Kat, Latif Mollaahmetoğlu, Ayberk Demirdöğen, Volkan Pamuk and Veysel Şahin on the alleged ground that we have insulted President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the commissioned officer with the caricatures that we drew ourselves and published on our monthly art and culture magazine Ayvaz."

"Our petitions of objection are not put into effect"

Yayla has also stated that they will object to the Judgeships of Execution relating to the disciplinary punishments given by the prison administration.

Complaining that their petitions of objection are not put into effect, Yayla has added, "As for our petitions, which have been put into force and are about our rights that have been entrenched upon, they are constantly rejected."

Telephone line was cut off while talking to his family

In his letter, Yayla has also mentioned the difficulties that they encounter due to the obligation of giving an oral report (about their names etc.) before talking on the phone:

"On August 15, Yaşar Kul, an inmate, called his family living in Ordu due to the flood disaster that hit the city. However, the telephone line was cut off because he did not accept the imposition of oral report. He was prevented from learning the state of his family after the flood.

"When he did not put the handset aside and said that he wanted to hear from his family, he was forcibly taken to his cell and the administration gave him a three-month communication punishment." (AS/SD)