ISTANBUL - IHD Istanbul Branch announced its 3-month report on the prisons in the Marmara Region and found 1,572 violations in these prisons and 144 violations in İmralı Prison.

 

Human Rights Association (IHD) Istanbul Branch announced the report on violations in prisons in Marmara Region in October, November and December with a press conference held at the association. IHD Istanbul Branch Chair Gülseren Yoleri and IHD Istanbul Branch Prison Commission member Meral Nergis Şahin announced the report.

 

According to the report, 48 violation applications were made from 16 prisons, including 5 women, 43 men, 9 ordinary prisoners and 39 political prisoners. In the report, it was noted that one thousand 572 violations were detected thorugh applcations and press scans. It was emphasised in the report that the violations were torture, beating, ill treatment, degrading behaviour, violations of the right to health, violation of the right to adequate and healthy nutrition and access to clean water and lack of meet self-care needs. It is stated in the report that there were 3 violations of the right to life; 457 violations of torture, ill-treatment, degrading behaviour; 142 violations of the right to health; and 245 violations of the right to communication. It is emphasised in the report that on 2 October 2024, Abdülkadir Kuday, a seriously ill prisoner in Istanbul Metris Type R Prison, and İbrahim Hakkı Savaşeri, a prisoner in Balıkesir Bandırma Open Prison, died on 5 October 2024.

 

In the report, it was stated that 8 prisoners, 2 of whom died in Marmara Region, and that arbitrary bans and torture and problems in access to health and treatment pose a serious threat to the right to life of prisoners. The report said, "On 5 December 2024, the Minister of Justice's written answer to a parliamentary parliamentary question, stating that the number of prisoners who died in prisons in the first 11 months of 2024 was 709, created a shock effect, and it was understood that the deaths of prisoners reflected in the public opinion were at most one tenth of this number. This situation also revealed that the huge problems experienced in prisons remained hidden within four walls and very few of them could be announced to the outside, causing everyone working in this field to question their working methods."

 

'144 VIOLATIONS DETECTED IN İMRALI'

 

In the report stating that 144 violations of the ban on visits to PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan in İmralı Type F High Security Prison were detected, it was stated that S, Y and High Security type prisons increased the severe isolation. In the report, it was emphasised that the Administrative and Observation Boards assessed "good behaviour" based on criteria such as not attending religious courses, staying in an independent ward, reading more or less books, not attending courses, not meeting with the imam, halaying, chanting slogans and celebrating Newroz.

 

The statements of MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli and MHP Deputy Chair Feti Yıldız on "the right to hope" and "the release of ill prisoners" were pointed out and it was stated that this situation created expectations for concrete steps.

 

'PROBLEMS AWAIT URGENT SOLUTION'

 

In the conclusion section of the report, the following statements made: "As a result, many problems such as isolation, which has become increasingly widespread and permanent, problems in access to treatment and health, inequalities in execution, torture, ill-treatment, arbitrary bans and practices, problems in access to justice, as well as the problems caused by the economic crisis and increasing prisoner poverty, forced and drudgery labour of prisoners are waiting for urgent solutions. As we have stated in each of our reports, our report covers only the limited applications made to our association and the data obtained through press scanning. We know that the problems, violations and arbitrary practices in prisons are much more."