Human Rights Association (İHD) Mersin Branch Prison Commission announced the violation report covering the months of July, August, September and October. Member of Commission Muammer Derince announced the report at a meeting organised at the office of the association and stated that violations of rights and deaths in prisons continue to increase. Derince shared the notes of their visits to Tarsus and Aksaray prisons and said: "Prisoners' sentences are postponed for six months with the decisions of the Prison Administration and Observation Board on the grounds of unjust disciplinary penalties given by the prison administrations and thus their right to conditional release is violated. The executions of prisoners M.Z.B., E.Ş. and Ö.S. in Ereğli High Security Prison were postponed twice for six months each on this ground."

 

TORTURE AND ILL-TREATMENT

 

Derince stated that social, cultural and sportive activities of the prisoners are prevented by the threat of punishment and those who want to exercise their rights are subjected to pressure and violence by the prison administration and added: "Especially prisoners in high security prisons are isolated from each other and are punished with all kinds of deprivation of rights, their clothes and beds are not allowed to be ventilated and taken out in the sun, so these places are called 'prisons without sunshine' and they have declared that their health deteriorates due to this."

 

'RIGHT TO ACCESS TO HEALTH IS PREVENTED'

 

Ill prisoners are subjected to various violations of rights said Derince added: "Ill prisoners are not taken to the doctor, they are forced to undergo oral searches, examination in handcuffs and especially women prisoners are forced to be examined in the presence of law enforcement officers in an immoral manner. Thus, the right to access to health is violated and prisoners continue to stay in prisons in an unhealthy environment with their diseases increasing. This is the situation in all prisons in the region, especially in high security prisons. M.K. in Manavgat Type S Closed Prison, S.Y. in Kırşehir High Security Prison, H.T. and B.Ö. in Tarsus T-2 Closed Prison, F.G, Ş.K. and many other prisoners' rights to access to health are violated in this way, as it is understood from the applications and lawyer interviews."

 

'GROSS VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS'

 

Derince noted that these practices made the lives of especially ill prisoners unbearable, prisoners with severe chronic illnesses were not provided with reasonable living and treatment conditions and their right to access to health was violated. "Forcing prisoners to be examined in handcuffs, exhibiting behaviours incompatible with social morality, human rights and freedoms during the examination is the biggest obstacle for prisoners to receive treatment and this situation is a serious violation of human rights. It has been ovserved that prisoners' meals are either too little or inedible, their nutritional needs are not met, canteen prices are very high and wardens do not complu with hygiene rules."

 

Derince called on the Ministry of Justice, the Parliamentary Human Rights Commission, the Human Rights Unit of the Governorate, the Prison Monitoring Board, Judicial Units, Political Parties and Human Rights Organisations and continued as follows: "We demand that the necessary action be taken to ensure a dignified and humane life in all prisons."