People's Law Bureau: ‘Prison Uniform’ Allegation in Silivri Prison not True

Click to read the article in Turkish

İlker Altundal and Gökhan Keskin, who are kept in Silivri Prison, told they were attempted to wear prison uniforms and they were battered when they refused by the prison guards.

Giving an explanation about the subject,  People's Law Bureau has said that the problem arose due to families being misunderstood the prison uniform practice hasn't started and their clients were taken to the hearing without any incident of violence.

Speaking to bianet, lawyer Duygu Mandacı from the Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD) stated that two prisoners who had a hearing yesterday (January 16) were attempted to wear prison uniform and they spoke of it to their families today.

Prison uniform before regulation

Lawyer Mandacı stated that regulation must be made for the prison uniform implementation to be put into practice, however, the uniforms started to be sent to some prisons before the regulation was made.

Mandacı added that they don’t know whether the prison uniforms were sent to Silivri Prison but since the prisoners are forced to wear them, they are already prepared. “This is a preview a transformation that will affect the whole society”, Mandacı described the situation.

Not only to arrestees but to all prisoners

The practice implemented by statutory decree no. 696 foresees prison uniform being worn “outside of the prison”. So, prisoners will wear prison uniforms, according to the regulation.

In this case, prison uniform is enforced on 58 thousand 500 people who are arrested or convicted of the prescribed articles. However, it was thought that mostly those who will be taken to trial would be subjected to this practice.

Güçlü Sevimli from the ÇHD said, “The prison uniform will be discussed not for arrestees only but also for convicts who receive disciplinary punishment when they are taken to hearings of execution judgeship”. (AS/TK)