VAN - Drawing attention to the extent of the violations in prison, Van Bar Association IHM Co-spokesperson, lawyer Savaş Avcı said: "We have come to a point where we cannot talk about the violation of letters in a place where the right to life is spoken."

 

Rights violations against prisoners in prisons continue to increase day by day. At least 75 prisoners lost their lives in the last year, especially due to the violation of the most basic human right, the right to life. Savaş Avcı, Co-spokesperson of the Van Bar Association Human Rights Center, stated that they are trying to find solutions according to “priority” due to the increase in violations.

 

Saying that they go to the prisons in Serhat and the Black Sea region periodically and meet with the prisoners, Avcı stated that they prepare a report as a result of the meetings and share these reports with the public.

 

'PUNISHMENT WAS THE MAIN PURPOSE'

 

Stating that according to the prison legislation, the main purpose of prisons is to “reintegrate criminals into society” rather than punishing them, Avcı said: “However, the prisons we visited are not like that, they have turned into centers where there are intense violations of rights. Punishment has become the main goal in every field." 

 

Pointing out that with the "coup attempt" on July 15, 2016, the current pressures and violations in the prison increased three times, Avcı said: "Social rights in the prison were lifted with the pandemic that started in 2020. Communication and social activities between the wards are still prohibited despite the termination of the pandemic measures. Open view and There are serious obstacles to the right of communication, in other words, phone calls. We have also been informed that in some prisons, some physical attacks are made by the staff or the prison administration to satisfy their egos. There is a quota of books in all prisons and this quota is 5 or at most 8 books. "The newspapers requested by the prisoners are not given apart from the newspapers determined by the prison administration. No channels are opened other than the television channels determined by the prison."

 

THE RULES THAT ARE NOT IN LAW, ARE IMPLEMENTED IN PRISON

 

Stating that the laws are not enforced in prisons, Avcı said, "The execution law is applied differently in prisons. The convict has the right to communicate, but this right can be arbitrarily denied. For example, there is no answer to why the ban on lawyers or family visits is enforced regarding the isolation on Mr. Abdullah Öcalan. There is no such restriction in the law. Prisoners may face disciplinary action for failing to give a standing count. By law, enforcement personnel count and leave detainees when they come in. But standing counting is done as a method of punishment, satisfaction, and tampering with the detainee's dignity. "The policy and those responsible for inspecting the prison do not do enough inspection. Prisoners write letters to bar associations, the Ministry of Justice, prosecutors' offices and institutions such as the Parliamentary Human Rights Investigation Commission. However, many of the letters and petitions are blocked or not sent."

 

RIGHT TO ACCESS HEALTH

 

Stating that prisoners have problems in health access right in prisons, Avcı said: "To give an example, when a prisoner has a toothache, everyone knows about toothache, it is instantaneous and urgent. The prisoners demand the right to treatment, but the prison infirmary gives painkillers and sends them to the hospital 6 months later; therefore, that patient is caused to suffer from toothache for 6 months. It is not possible to talk about the right to treatment or health here."

 

'INTENSE VIOLATIONS IN DUMLU PRISON'

 

Noting that there were violations of rights in all prisons, but that there were more serious violations of rights in Erzurum Dumlu High Security Prison No. 1 and 2, which was built for 2 years. Saying that all the wards in Dumlu Prison are made up of single-person cells, Avcı said: "Prisoners who receive aggravated life imprisonment stay in single-person cells. In Dumlu, prisoners and convicts who are not sentenced to term imprisonment, life sentence or convicted are held in solitary cells. How can we define this violation? There is no provision for this in the law. We apply to the Ministry of Justice regarding this, but we do not receive a response. As the Van Bar Association Human Rights Center, I appeal to the Ministry of Justice; These need to be explained to us." 

 

Avcı also shared the information that there has been a water problem in Patnos Prison for 5 years and that the prisoners have skin diseases due to the water problem.

 

VIOLATION OF RIGHTS TURNED INTO A VIOLATION OF THE RIGHT TO LIFE

 

Stating that as human rights defenders, they try to find a solution to the rights violations against prisoners without making any discrimination, Avcı said: "Previously, we were discussing the fact that not giving books, magazines, televisions to prisoners or giving them incompletely was a violation, and we were making applications to remedy these violations; however, these violations were still in our reports. We give a place to them, but these have started to become commonplace because much greater violations of rights have begun to be put before us. People are losing their lives in prisons; therefore, the right to life has begun to be seriously violated." 

 

Pointing out that Garibe Gezer lived in prison, Avcı said: “An investigation was requested regarding the personnel present in the Garibe Gezer incident, an investigation was opened, but the investigation was subsequently dismissed. 'No crime was found.' How did Garibe Gezer die? There was a violation and there was evidence with images. It was clear that Garibe Gezer was beaten there. We live in a time when the right to life is taken so simply. Unfortunately, we have been unable to put the violations in order and start from serious violations, that is, a violation of a letter in a place where the right to life is spoken; therefore, we had to prioritize the right to life.”

 

CALL TO AUTHORIZED INSTITUTIONS

 

Calling the Ministry of Justice and the Parliamentary Human Rights Investigation Commission against violations in prisons, Avcı said: “It is vitally important that they conduct investigations in the Black Sea and Dumlu Prison. Again, we remind the General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Houses of their responsibilities. We expect those responsible for the elimination of these violations to fulfill their responsibilities and to intensify the inspections."

 

MA/ Cengiz Özbasar