Rights violations persist within prisons, with frequent incidents of ill-treatment, torture, beatings, disciplinary punishments, self-immolations, and health issues among sick prisoners. The Diyarbakir Bar Association, Association of Lawyers for Freedom (OHD), Human Rights Association (IHD) Diyarbakır Branch, Association for Assistance to Families of Prisoners and Convicts (TUAY-DER), and Association of Lawyers for Freedom (OHD) have jointly prepared a report on the violations occurring in Diyarbakır Campus Prison.
The report, compiled based on interviews with prisoners, sheds light on the violations in various prisons, including Diyarbakir Women’s Closed Prison, Diyarbakir T Type Closed Prisons No. 1, 2, and 3, and High-Security Closed Prisons No. 1 and 2. The report was publicly announced during a press conference at the Diyarbakır Bar Association Legal Aid Building.
Adile Salman, the head of the Prison Monitoring Committee of Diyarbakir Bar Association Human Rights Center, presented the report’s findings. Some of the highlighted violations in the report include:
– Prisoners who refuse to meet with intelligence officers are misled with false information, stating that “their lawyer has arrived,” and are coerced into meeting them.
– During general searches in the wards, prisoners are subjected to treatment that goes against human dignity.
– Privacy is violated by the placement of cameras on upper floors of the wards (bed section) and in toilets-bathrooms, which remain open throughout the day.
– Many prisoners are subjected to strip searches upon their arrival at the prison reception unit after being arrested.
– Insufficient numbers of doctors and healthcare workers are available in the prison.
– Books are only permitted during the first week of every two months, with limited access to specific newspapers.
– Administrative and monitoring committees make abstract and subjective comments when determining prisoners’ parole and probation rights eligibility.
The report also highlights the following points:
Despite being unable to survive independently due to their illnesses, seriously ill prisoners are not released based on reports from the Forensic Medicine Institution.
Prisoners express concerns over their deteriorating health conditions, stating that their executions have not been postponed and that prison conditions, including access to medical care, are inadequate.
The problems prisoners face in the visited prisons are remarkably similar, indicating systematic violations in all facilities.
Prisoners report delayed transfers to hospitals and unanswered requests for infirmary care. One prisoner was not transferred for ten days after their implant fell out, leading to an inability to eat. Another prisoner, B.E., was denied a muscle relaxant for 40 days, while prisoners with epilepsy named B.T. and İ.K. experienced interruptions in their treatment. Furthermore, a prisoner named Ö.Ç. did not receive the necessary medication for ten days. Prisoners state that hospital visits often coincide with their visitation days, forcing them to choose between seeing their families or seeking medical care.
Room searches have increased to 3-5 times a month, with restrictions on TV channels other than those permitted by the prison administration. Even Parliament Television (Meclis TV) is not allowed in the wards. Canteen prices are exorbitant, and requested items are frequently unavailable or sold at inflated prices.
Prisoners report a lack of access to Kurdish books and magazines. Although not explicitly banned, certain book titles, such as “Ararat’in Sesi,” are arbitrarily deemed offensive and withheld from prisoners, making it difficult for them to access reading materials.
Source: Gerçek News
