Inmates of Osmaniye Prison on Hunger Strike for Their Legal Rights

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The inmates of Osmaniye No. 2 Type T Prison have been on a hunger strike against ill treatment and violation of rights since November 12.

The prisoners have announced through their families that they will continue their hunger strike until the violation of their rights ends.

The inmates have indicated that they are deprived of their legal rights, they are forced to be counted on foot and when they do not accept it, they are battered and disciplinary investigations are launched against them.

'First, count with camera, then battery without one'

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), inmate Mehmet İpek has told the following to his elder brother Ömer İpek:

"They are forcing us to be counted on foot. First, they do a count with a camera. Then, they come without a camera and batter us. When they refer us to hospital, they force us to be examined in handcuffs, we are battered. Our newspapers are not given to us.

"Prison wardens look at our family photos and insult us. They are giving arbitrary disciplinary punishments. I have been banned from receiving visitors for 3 months now.

"A friend of ours had a broken arm. He was not referred to hospital. We are faced with arbitrary practices. We have gone on a hunger strike."

Elder brother Ömer İpek has stated that not only the rights of inmates, but those of visitors are violated as well. According to İpek, while they have the right to meet their relatives in prison for an hour, they can only see them for 45 minutes. Indicating that they are painstakingly searched, their requests for talking to the prosecutor's office about the issue are also left unanswered.

Prisoner Adem Amaç, who phoned his elder brother Mahmut Amaç on November 12, has also said that arbitrary disciplinary investigations are launched against them and he has been banned from close and open visitations for a year.

"As a result of all that, we have gone on a hunger strike as of November 12. We want these violations of rights to come to an end", Amaç has indicated. (AS/SD)