Justice Minister Abdulhamit Gul said that 120 prisoners and convicts from 4 different prisons were diagnosed with coronavirus (Kovid-19). Cansu Şekerci, Represantative of Children in Prison Network from Civil Society Association in the Penal Execution System evaluated the problems children go through during the epidemic.

 

Pointing out that they are having difficulties in obtaining data on how many children are in prisons, Şekerci emphasized that the Ministry of Justice hasn't been entering the data into the system in the recent years. Underlining that the most recent data published by the Ministry of Justice belonged to 2018, Şekerci said, “We are also applying for information, but the ministry responds to these applications by saying 'it is a matter related to the internal operation, we will not inform you'. According to 2018 data, it showed that 3,19 children aged 12-18 and 743 children aged 0-6 were kept in prisons. While detention should be a last resort in the justice system, the fact that children are being detained paves the way for human rights violations ”.

 

Şekerci stated that the visits were limited and the families could not go visit their children within the scope of the precautionary measures taken as a result of the epidemic, and reminded that the duration of the phone calls were now increased to 20 minutes. Emphasizing that the activities of the detainees were also canceled, Şekerci stated that the isolation in prison has worsened. Expressing that the closedness in prisons will lead up to violence, Şekerci said: "As the isolations in prison has been increased on the children and the prisons aren't being inspected, our concerns grow on a daily basis. We demand the release of all children, without discrimination, to protect their well- being."