‘Pandemic restrictions’ still in place in prisons

* Photo: İHD İstanbul Branch

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

The Human Rights Association (İHD) İstanbul Branch Prison Commission has shared the results of its third quarterly report on violations of rights committed in the prisons in Turkey's northwestern Marmara region.

Covering a number of cities including İstanbul, the report sheds light on the rights violations committed in 25 prisons in the region in July-August-September 2021 based on the news reported in the press as well as the applications of prisoners and their relatives.

The report shows that there is an increase in the number of violations of rights in September. While the İHD documented 546 violations in July and 505 violations in August, this number increased to 710 in September, which accounts for 1,761 violations in three months.

Arbitrary punishments, bans, restrictions...

The Prison Commission's report lists the following violations of rights reported from the prisons in the Marmara region:

• In all prisons; there are arbitrary disciplinary punishments.
• There are bans on periodicals, non-periodicals, books and letters.
• There is a failure to send the documents and criminal complaints addressed to official authorities.
• Prisoners are not allowed to exercise their right to chat and do sports.
• Their right to get fresh air in the open is restricted.
• The prices of goods sold at prisons' canteens are extremely high, there is a lack of diversity and only certain brands are sold.
• The sale of some necessaries is banned and these needs still cannot be met from the outer canteen.
• Inadequate nutrition further undermines the health of ill prisoners during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Requests and recommendation

Offering a series of requests and recommendations in the conclusion of the report, the İHD İstanbul Branch's Prison Commission says, "Especially during the current pandemic process, the violations of rights faced by prisoners have reached grave dimensions and isolation, as a method of torture, has been aggravated even further."

Recalling that the hunger strikes in prisons a few months ago once again reminded the public of the practice of isolation behind bars, the report stresses that "being in a position to wait for prisoners' hunger strikes to protest isolation as a method of torture shows that all democratic forces, especially rights organizations, legal organizations and politicians, should question themselves."

In addition to aggravated isolation and the violations of rights faced by prisoners in exercising their fundamental rights, the İHD report raises concerns that the pandemic is also posing a serious risk in terms of the access to right to healthcare as well as to right to life.

The association reiterates that "measures must urgently be taken to protect the right to healthcare and life of all prisoners, especially those who are seriously ill, and they should be released during the pandemic so that they can be protected from the risk."

Concluding the report, the İHD makes a call for sensitivity and solidarity with prisoners in the face of grave problems encountered in prisons. (AS/SD)

* Click to read the report in Turkish