Perception study: Women, journalists suffer injustice the most in Turkey

Photo: Evrim Kepenek/bianet

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The groups that are through to suffer injustice the most in Turkey are women, journalists, political dissidents, Kurds and Alevis, according to a new study released yesterday (October 7).

The study titled "Prisons and Prisoners Perception Study" was conducted by KONDA Research company for the Human Rights Association (İHD).

As part of the study, the company surveyed 3,285 people from 68 provinces and 383 districts across the country.

Results from the study:

• 42 percent of the people think women are the group that suffer injustice the most. They were followed by journalists (35 percent), political dissidents (33 percent), Kurds (28 percent), Alevis (21 percent), Turks (19 percent), LGBTI+s (18 percent), activists (15 percent), men (14 percent), foreigners-refugees (12 percent).

• The group that is thought to suffer injustice the most is Sunni Muslims, which make up the majority of the country.

• One in 10 people who follow the news on pro-government broadcasters A Haber and ATV and state broadcaster TRT think political dissidents don't suffer injustice.

• 57 percent think people are put in prison for their thoughts while 20 percent think they are not.

Gender, ethnicity and income level

• 81 percent of the people who had been detained before, 69 percent of the people who had been remanded in custody before and 77 percent of those who had been released under supervision before are men.

• 58 percent of those who had been detained are Turks, 35 percent are Kurds, 7 percent are Arabs, Zazas and people from other ethnic origins. (Kurds make up 17 percent of Turkey's population).

• 39 percent of those who had been remanded in custody are in the low-income group while 6 percent of them are in high-income group.

• 11 percent of those who had been released under supervision are in the low-income group while 29 percent are in high-income group.

Prisons and rehabilitation

• 58 percent of the people think prisons don't rehabilitate people. 17 percent of the people neither agree nor disagree that prisons rehabilitate people, while 10 percent agree with that. 15 percent did not state an opinion.

• Excluding those who did not state an opinion, 69 percent think prisons don't rehabilitate people.

Confidence in justice

• 68 percent of the people don't have confidence in the justice system.

• Among the Turks, 64 percent said they don't trust the justice system while this rate is 85 percent among the Kurds. (AS/VK)