‘Prisons Should be Closed, Not Children’

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Rights organizations have released a written statement about the child inmate Veli Ersoy, who lost his life in Eskişehir Type H Prison.

Arrested in the juvenile hall of the prison, 17-year-old Veli Ersoy was taken into intensive care unit with the allegation that he hanged himself two days after he had been placed under protection.

He lost his life two days later on June 30, 2019.

In their joint statement, 19 rights organizations have indicated that they have felt the need to remind the authorities of their responsibilities so that the legal and administrative process could be meticulously followed to uncover the truths and this incident would not end in impunity, as it was the case in several previous deaths of child inmates.

The organizations have pressed the following demands:

* It should be revealed how Veli Ersoy could not prevented from doing actions that would harm himself,

* Why he was held alone on the day of incident,

* Whether the alleged dispute really erupted when he was in the juvenile hall and what happened afterwards,

* What happened in the meetings held with the psychosocial service before he was sent to the prison ward and

*What negligences and violations were committed in his death.

The organizations have also called on to the Ministry of Justice, bar associations and non-governmental organizations to follow up the related process to ensure that the responsibilities in finding answers to these questions and examining new findings will be fulfilled.

'It should be investigated impartially and meticulously'

"There is a picture of impunity in child deaths in prisons", the organizations have highlighted in their statement.

Referring to the death of 15-year-old Onur Önal in Maltepe Child and Youth Closed Penal Institution in 2014, they have reminded that "the responsibility of prison administration was not investigated" in that file.

About the verdict of non-prosecution given for the death of 14-year-old Emirhan Nas in Trabzon Type E Closed Penal Institution in 2015, the organizations have stated,

"With the verdict of Constitutional Court dated July 17, 2019, it has been concluded that the right to personal liberty and security of Emirhan Nas has been violated by his arrest, considering that he was a child when a ruling of arrest was given for him, alternative options should be considered and arrest should be the last option for children."

They have also indicated, "The deaths and ensuing impunity show that even the deaths of children kept in state-controlled prisons away from their daily lives, basic and psychosocial needs do not trigger the responsibility of public administrations; violence and violation of rights remain as dark figures in these institutions closed to independent and civilian inspection."

Within this context, the organizations have called on the authorities to "conduct an impartial and meticulous investigation into the causes leading to the death of Veli Ersoy and the responsibility for violating his right to life."

Concluding the statement, the organizations have emphasized, "It is the prisons that need to be closed, not children."

The 19 undersigned rights organizations are as follows:

Civil Society in the Penal System (CİSST) Association, Association for Child Rights, Foundation for the Child, Unity for Democracy, Dialogue Group, Platform for Eastern and Southeastern Associations, Eksi25 Association, Child Rights Center of Intellectual and Artistic Workshop Association, Young Hopes Association, Human Rights Association, Human Rights Agenda Association, Legists for Freedom Association, Colorful Hopes Association, Social Service Specialists Association, Turkish Psychologists Association, Foundation of Freedom Again to Turkish Children, Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, Life Memory Freedom Association, Citizen Initiative (AS/SD)