ANKARA - Prisoners in Ereğli Prison, where an indefinite and non-rotating hunger strike continues against the harsh isolation conditions, stated that even greeting is prohibited.

 

The indefinite rotating hunger strike started on October 4 against violations of rights and severe isolation conditions in Konya Ereğli High Security Prison continues indefinite and non-rotating on November 16. Lawyers from the Association for Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD), Human Rights Association (İHD) and Çukurova Association for Assistance with the Families of Detainees and Convicts (Çukurova TUAY-DER) visited the prison on November 11.

 

EVEN GREETING IS PROHIBITED

 

Representatives of human rights and legal organisations who visited the prisoners stated that prisoners Faik Budak, Fatih Baran and Remzi Akyürek continued their hunger strike on November 16 indefinite and non-rotating against the harsh isolation conditions. NGO representatives conveyed the descriptions of the prisoners about the prison conditions as follows: “We cannot see any people for 23 hours. This has now taken the form of psychological violence. There is only one window in the rooms and the whole window is closed with iron bars, we cannot even see the sky because of the walls and wires. We wash our laundry in the tub in our own room and dry our laundry in the cell where we stay, but the clothes do not dry for days. Due to our limited right to dress, we have to wear dirty clothes for days. As we dried our laundry in our room, our lungs started to get worse. There is no kettle, TV and radio in our rooms.  We can't use newspapers, magazines, books, and broadcasts. Daily quota of hot and cold water amount. The amount of water is not enough when used for cleaning. We are constantly harassed by some prison guards, we are not even allowed to greet other prisoners.”

 

THE PRISONERS ARE HELD DESPITE THEIR SENTENCES ARE OVER

 

Imprisoned Cengiz Akkaya, in a phone call with his family, said: "He was not released despite the end of his 6-year prison sentence. I was executed for insulting the President. I have a lot of friends like this. Not only that we were not taken into rooms for 3 people due to our large number, but also that people are held in single cells due to being held even though their sentences are over. The conditions here are really difficult, so our friends started an indefinite non-rotating hunger strike. Against these severe isolation conditions, we will join this indefinite and non-rotating hunger strike in the coming days. We will continue our struggle until these severe isolation conditions are over.”