Drawing attention to the ongoing rights violations against political prisoners, particularly women prisoners, Jiyan Ormanlı, a member of the Human Rights Association (İHD) Diyarbakır Branch Prison Commission, said that an effective investigation should be launched into torture and ill-treatment in prisons.

MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Amed –Prisoners in the Diyarbakır Closed Women’s Prison have been subjected to more rights violations every day. The prisoners, who have been held under aggravated isolation conditions especially since the coronavirus pandemic started, cannot access many of their rights, including the right to life. According to the Human Rights Association (IHD) 2021 report, 170 prisoners were exiled/transferred to other prisons without justification. 23 prisoners were subjected to violations of their right to health; the right to visitation of three families was blocked. At least 56 prisoners faced investigations and 115 prisoners faced disciplinary sanctions. Jiyan Ormanlı, a member of the Human Rights Association (İHD) Diyarbakır Branch Prison Commission, told us that women prisoners are subjected to more rights violations. “During our visits in prison, women prisoners told us that they have been affected psychologically and physically from rights violations faced by them,” she said.

"Women prisoners complained about the ‘cabin system’ in prison”

Noting that women prisoners have faced many problems in prison, Jiyan Ormanlı said, “During our last visit to the prison, women prisoners particularly complained about the 'cabin system' in women’s wards. They told us that the cabins set up inside wards reduce the interaction among the prisoners and that they are forced to meet all their needs in cabins. They also told us that the illiterate women have more difficulties because they are alone in the cabin and have to make calls or order something from the canteen.”

“Relatives of prisoners are subjected to harassment during searches”

Underlining that relatives of prisoners are also subjected to rights violations while visiting their relatives in prison, Jiyan Ormanlı said that the relatives of prisoners are subjected to verbal harassment while they are searched to enter the prison.

“Prisoners are forced to be regretted in order to be released”

Indicating that Kurdish newspapers and magazines are not given to prisoners by the prison administration, Jiyan Ormanlı said, “Prisoners often refuse treatment due to practices such as intraoral search and double handcuffs while they are transferred to a hospital. Some prisoners reported to us that they are forced to be regretted in order to be released earlier.”

“Legal regulations should be implemented in prisons”

“Rights violations in prisons, particularly against women should be ended,” Jiyan Ormanlı said that the legal regulations and international conventions should be implemented in prisons. “An effective investigation should be launched into torture and ill-treatment complaints and steps should be taken to prevent such rights violations. Necessary steps should be taken to prevent arbitrary practices of the administration that violate the prisoners’ right to communication and health.”