İZMİR - Representatives of non-governmental organisations, who want the demands of ill prisoners on hunger strike to be met, said that deaths in prison increase as the violations of rights increases with the deadlock in Kurdish question.

 

The hunger strikes initiated by the prisoners in order to put an end to the violations of rights in prisons continue. Writer Zeki Bayhan, Ramazan Çelik and Yücel Kızmaz who are seriously ill prisoners held in Kırıklar No. 2 Type F High Security Prison, launched an indefinite and non-rotating hunger strike on August 28, demanding an end to the violations of their rights. Ekim Polat, a seriously ill prisoner held in Denizli Type T Prison, entered the 39th day of his hunger strike for his right to treatment.

 

Sibel Balaç 263 in Sincan Prison and İlker Kızılaltun in Silivri Prison have been on death fast for 24 days demanding a "fair trial". Gökhan Yıldırım, who was held in Tekirdağ No. 1 Type F Prison, who was on death fast for 257 days, was released on September 5 with a postponement of his execution.

 

The administrators of the non-governmental organisation working on prisons in İzmir demanded an end to the violations that were used as a reason for the hunger strike and death fast.

 

ISOLATION HAS SPREAD TO ALL PRISONS

 

Hediye Tekin, director of the Aegean Association of Prisoners and Relatives of Convicts (EGE-TUHAYDER), said that all the rights of the prisoners were taken away and hunger strikes were started against it. Pointing out that the isolation policy implemented in İmralı Prison, where PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan is being held, has spread to all prisons, Tekin said: "The prisoners are constantly subjected to arbitrary practices by the prison administration. They are arbitrarily raided on the pretext of searching rooms in the middle of the night. The prisoners, who cannot make their voices heard against them, are forced to go on hunger strikes against these isolation policies."

 

SERIOUSLY ILL PRISONERS ON HUNGER STRIKE

 

Pointing out that 3 seriously ill prisoners in Kırıklar Prison are on a hunger strike against the violations of rights, Tekin said, "Everyone needs to feel responsible and speak out against the hunger strike. There are deaths in prisons almost every week. If the prisoners in Kırıklar Prison go on hunger strike. If the hunger strike continues, there is a risk of spreading to other prisons. This situation creates the fear of death in prisons. Therefore, not only the families of the prisoners or the institutions, but also the whole public should raise their voice against these events."

 

VIOLATIONS INCREASED DEATHS IN PRISONS

 

Pointing to the high security prisons that are under construction, Human Rights Association (İHD) İzmir Branch Prison Commission Spokesperson Ahmet Çiçek said: "The social and sports activities of the prisoners are prevented on the grounds of the pandemic and the prisoners are isolated. This affects the psychology of the prisoners, the prisoners who cannot share with anyone the violations commit suicide. The normalization of these deaths will lead to more deaths. Currently, there is a hunger strike in at least 12 prisons. One of the most important problems is the prevention of the right to access treatment. Due to the pandemic, many rights have been blocked in prisons and diseases have deepened. When prisoners request a referring, they are blocked for various reasons."

 

THERE IS TORTURE IN PRISONS

 

Stating that people are arrested because of their thoughts and that prisoners are subjected to various tortures in order to give up their thoughts, Ümit Akduman, director of the Association for Solidarity with the Families of Prisoners and Convicts (TAYAD), said: "The practices in prisons are "torture". Prisoners are not given their books and medicines. Hospital referrals are not made or extended for various excuses. 7-8 square meters of ventilation is covered. They install cameras everywhere. They turn every place into torture for the prisoners. Various punishments were given to the prisoners who opposed the violations of rights, and that the prisoners had to resort to hunger strikes against them. The AKP government applies the right to postpone executions to drug dealers, Çevik Bir. But it does not grant this right to revolutionary prisoners and opposition groups. The right to postpone executions must be implemented for everyone."