ELİF AKGÜL

Istanbul-The pressure and torture practices in Turkish prisons have increased even more in the last two months. There are 1,605 sick prisoners in jail, 604 of them being seriously sick, according to the data of the Human Rights Association (İHD) Prisons Commission. Human rights defenders say that after the suspicious death of Garibe Gezer, who allegedly committed suicide in Kandıra No. 1 F-Type Prison, the pressure on prisoners has intensified. While the Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread, the occupancy rate of prisons has increased five times.

The Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (HRFT) Istanbul representative Ümit Efe spoke to NuJINHA about the conditions of prisoners.

“Annihilation and denial policies continue”

“Annihilation and denial policies, which do not consider prisoners as human beings, continue in prisons,” Ümit Efe said that 2021 was a year when allegations of violence, torture, ill-treatment, and harassment in prisons were intense.

Ümit Efe noted that although political prisoners “who cannot make their voices heard behind the walls” try to make their voices heard with their traditions of resistance and hunger strikes, other types of prisoners don’t have such traditions.

Recalling that the Covid-19 pandemic process, which has turned into a humanitarian crisis in the world, continues, Ümit Efe stated that the occupancy rate of prisons has increased five times.

“We know that the prisoners don't live in conditions that have been improved due to the pandemic. We are concerned about the availability of hygiene products in prisons and vaccination policies. We can learn the conditions in prisons just from the lawyers and families of the prisoners.”

“Prisoners get out of prison in coffins, not with hope”

Emphasizing that five prisoners have lost their lives in prisons since December 9, when Garibe Gezer suspiciously died in prison, Ümit Efe said, “Prisoners get out of prison in coffins, not with hope.” Speaking about the sick prisoners, Ümit Efe said that the sick prisoners are asked to receive a medical report from the Forensic Medicine Institute.

“They try to get contact with the Forensic Medicine Institute for months to receive a medical report saying that they cannot stay in prison. Although they receive this report, they aren’t released from prison for “security” reasons due to the articles of the Anti-Terror Law. The full-fledged public hospitals can make decisions about the sick prisoners, who cannot stay in prisons anymore. One way is left for sick and elderly prisoners and we have to turn this way to a way to life for them.”

“F-type security prisons are against human existence”

Reminding that there are obstacles against the intellectual development of the prisoners, Ümit Efe said, “We don’t know the intellectual levels of those who supervise the letters and books for prisoners. Many legal publications and books were not delivered to the prisoners because they were ‘found objectionable’. Since the F-type security prisons are against human existence, it is very difficult for prisoners held in these prisons to protect their existence and mental health.”