WAN - Taner Ergün, who is held in Rize Type L Closed Prison, stated that the ill prisoners caught an epidemic and were not given medicine.

  

It has been reported that human rights violations against political prisoners have increased in Rize Type L Closed Prison. Political prisoners Umut Savaş Koçyiğit, Taner Ergün, Vefa Yılmaz and Hüseyin Karabulut, who remained in prison, told their families about the rights violations in prison in their weekly phone calls. Prisoners shared the information that the prison administration imposed disciplinary punishments after the hunger strike and that the prisoners who were disturbed due to the strike were not referred to hospitals and infirmaries.

 

‘ISOLATION SPREAD FROM IMRALI ISLAND IN PRISONS’

 

In his phone call with the family of prisoner Taner Ergün, he said that they would continue their action unless the ground for freedom was provided for PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan. Ergün stated the following: “We are currently experiencing the most intense form of isolation that has spread from İmralı Island in prisons. Many of our friends in prison are prevented from being released even though they are seriously ill. The hunger strike we are carrying out is, in a way, for those friends. We have many friends whose evacuation was prevented by arbitrary practices. We will continue our action until the isolation of Mr. Öcalan and the arbitrary practices on political prisoners end."

 

'ILL PRISONERS ARE EXPERIENCING SERIOUS DIFFICULITIES'

 

Ergün noted that the prisoners were not released even though the disciplinary punishments given to the prisoners whose release was prevented were over and stated that the epidemic is currently effective in prisons. Ergün said: “There is a general epidemic and almost all the prisoners are ill right now. Prison administration take them to the infirmary every two weeks, but they do not give them medicine in the infirmary. When the prisoners are taken to the infirmary, a two-minute standing examination is performed. Medicines do not come in prison anyway, they come for two months. Old ill prisoners are experiencing serious difficulties at this point. When we go for treatment, they tell us that there is no medicine, they do not have any medicine. So, there are issues in prisons in general at every point."