RIHA – Women who were subjected to strip searches during visits in Urfa Prison said, “They remove our headscarves and take off our clothes.”
Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD) Riha (Urfa) Branch stated that families of prisoners in Urfa T-Type Closed Prison No 2 were subjected to systematic ill treatment and strip search during open and closed visits. In the report released by ÖHD, many violations that families were subjected to were included.
FAMILIES: WE DO NOT ACCEPT STRIP SEARCH
Aynete Bulut, who came to Riha from Êlih (Batman) to visit her imprisoned son Serhat Bulut, said that they were subjected to strip searches. Stating that they do not accept the strip search, Aynete Bulut said, “They remove our headscarves, search our hair, and take off our clothes. We see this as harassment and we do not accept it.”
Mother Rahime Alper, who travelled from Semsûr (adıyaman) to see her imprisoned son Botan Alper, said that the guards took off their headscarves and forced them to strip search. She stated that they were subjected to strip search every time they came: “We are very disturbed by this situation. We come here for our own children. We come this way for hours and are subjected to this treatment. We come to the 11 o’clock meeting, we can only get out of here around 1-2 o’clock. They behave according to their whims. For 19 months my son has been here and we have been subjected to this treatment for 19 months.”