VAN - Speaking about his brother Vahyettin Sarı being held in prison for the last 25 years to be sent to a prison 1200 kilometers away from their family home, Ahmet Sarı told that exiling a person in this situation to the other end of the country is torture.

 

Vahyettin Sarı who was arrested in Van in 1997 and sentenced to life imprisonment was sent from Patnos Type L Prison to Sincan No 1 High Security Prison. Sarı who was transferred to Ankara without informing his family about it, is bening held alone in a cell since he was brought to Sincan Prison. His family learned that he was sent to another prison on January 5. Sarı was held in Muş, Siirt and İzmir Aliağa Şakran Prisons. The family living in Van insistantly applied to the Ministry of Justice, paying a lot of money to travel between Ankara and Van, finally succeeded persuading the ministry to send their son to Patnos Type L Prison, which is a closer prison.

 

'WE PAID TO GET HIM TO PATNOS'

 

Stating that his brother was transferred from prison to prison in the last 25 years, Ahmet Sarı said: "He was being held in Siirt prison, then he was transferred to İzmir with 70 people. He was held there for 6 years. We submitted application after application and deposited some money for him to be transferred to a closer prison. Even then they brought my brother to Patnos instead of Van and it was still hard for us to visit him there due to economic reasons. Now they sent him to Ankara, 1200 kilometers away, without even notifying us. He is being held in a cell alone without hot water for a week now."

 

'ALL THEY WANT IS TO MAKE IT HARDER FOR THE FAMILY'

 

Sarı said: "This is not fair. This is unlawful. We want out brother to be transferred to a closer prison. What did my brother do, why was he exiled, we want to know that. All they want is to make it harder for the families. This is torture on the family too. He is unjustly imprisoned. How can we go to Ankara to visit him when we can't go to Patnos for economic reasons? These exiles must be stopped. They aim to intimidate people and make them tell they are repentant. He is there for 25 years. He believes in something. How can he repent now?"