‘End violations of rights against political prisoners in Turkey’

* Photo: MA

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The Human Rights Association (İHD) İstanbul Branch Prisons Commission held a press conference today (March 18) and addressed the public on the occasion of the "Day of Solidarity with Political Prisoners". The association shared its open letter to the authorities with the public.

Addressed to the Ministry of Justice, Parliamentary Human Rights Investigation Commission and General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Houses, the letter was read out by İHD İstanbul Chair Gülseren Yoleri, who emphasized that in addition to general problems in prisons, there are also discriminatory regulations and practices against political prisoners.

Noting that around 15-20 percent of the nearly 300 thousand prisoners in Turkey are arrested for political reasons, she said that "especially political prisoners have been facing serious rights violations".

"Political prisoners, who are defined as the people imprisoned for their oppositional stance, are subjected to aggravated procedures for execution, they are deprived of their freedom for longer periods of time than the other prisoners given the same sentence and they are subjected to harsher conditions of execution such as isolation," added Yoleri further.

'A discriminatory attitude'

According to the statement of the İHD, "in the execution of the aggravated life sentence, political prisoners are still subjected to a discriminatory practice despite the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and a practice equal to death sentence is in place".

The Association noted that "while the regulations in the Law on Criminal Execution, which are against universal human rights and principles of the law on execution, should be abandoned, there is still a personalized execution, as it is seen in the execution under the Internal Regulation on the İmralı Closed Prison," where jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan is held.

The İHD İstanbul Branch raised concerns that "this discrimination and discriminatory attitude are reinforced by new regulations" and added:

"We demand that the situations leading to violations of rights in the legislation and practice be brought to an immediate end so that prisoners' basic rights, starting from the right to life and healthcare, are protected and we call on all responsible people and institutions to duty on this matter". (RT/SD)