Parliamentary Inquiry by HDP Regarding Rights Violations in Prisons

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The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Group Deputy Chairperson and Adana MP Meral Danış Beştaş has submitted a parliamentary inquiry regarding rights violations in prisons in the provinces of Karaman, İskenderun and Aydın, requesting that the Minister of Justice Abdülhamit Gül respond to the inquiry.

Emphasizing that the rights violations that have been communicated to her display continuity, Danış Beştaş has directed a series of questions to Abdülhamit Gül regarding the problems expressed by the inmates about battery and solitary confinement incidents.

"Battered inmates have started a hunger strike"

In the parliamentary inquiry submitted by the HDP MP Danış Beştaş to be responded by the Minister of Justice Abdülhamit Gül, the following information has been provided:

"We have been informed about an incident where a group of inmates at Karaman Type M Prison were battered last week (March 13, 2018) by 35-40 prison wardens, first during the counting procedure, then by being taken to a meeting room without any surveillance cameras.

"As a protest against this incident, 13 inmates, including Abdullah Güven, Ali Aydın, Mehmet Sait Alptekin, Özgür Ceylan, Nezir Dayan (ill prisoner), Mahsum Akdemir, Ömer Aydın, Mahmut Ekici, Bülent Kaçan, Hacı Mehmet Bozdağ, who were in cells during the battery, have started a hunger strike.

"According to the latest news communicated from the prison, the maltreatment conditions faced by the inmates have not changed and the ones who have gone on a hunger strike have not been provided with the necessary liquids and vitamins such as water, sugar and tea."

"He recounted being strangled and receiving death threats"

In the parliamentary inquiry, it has also been stated that in all of the prisons in the district of Çukurova as well, serious problems are persisting and similar problems have also been witnessed in the prisons in Tarsus, İskenderun, Osmaniye, Ceyhan and Adana.

Regarding the incidents in İskenderun Prison, Danış Beştaş has said, "In another incident that I have been informed about, the inmate Cebrail Ancar was severely battered, held in solitary confinement and concerned that his life might be in danger. In his last phone call with his mother, Ancar recounted that he was battered again, strangled and received death threats."

"Count while standing is forced on inmates with disabilities"

Addressing the complaints of the inmates in Aydın Prison, Meral Danış Beştaş has stated that the inmates are not provided with newspapers and books and listed the other complaints of prisoners as follows:

"Their canteen shopping is restricted; their telephone and visit rights are limited; they are not permitted to provide for their basic needs; oral reports and 'count while standing' are forced on them, including even the ones with disabilities; they are not permitted to use their rights to probation; their belongings are scattered and mingled; their personal belonging and writings are seized; their rooms are watched round the clock with surveillance cameras that are located in such a way to see the bathrooms; they are subjected to naked body searches, among many other rights violations..."

"Why are inmates concerned about the safety of their lives?"

The parliamentary inquiry has directed a long list of questions to the Minister of Justice Abdülhamit Gül, including the ones as to why the dosage of rights violations in prisons has been gradually increasing; whether the demands of the inmates who have gone on a hunger strike will be fulfilled and whether the failure to provide the most basic needs of inmates means a second, additional punishment". (AS/SD)