İZMİR, TURKEY
The invading Turkish state has passed a much anticipated criminal enforcement bill which foresaw the release of 100,000 of the 300,000 prisoners from Turkish state-controlled prisons. A major fraction of those being released are murderers, rapists and thieves while political prisoners, journalists and politicians are abandoned to death in dungeons.
While no preventative measures are being taken in the dungeons in the wake of the coronavirus, it has become clear that political prisoners are being left to face death. Even so, the Turkish state is demanding that the political prisoners die in silence since imposing disciplinary punishments against those who reflect the situation to the outside.
Roni Yavuz, being detained in Şakran No. 4 Type-T Closed Prison in the Aliağa district of İzmir, conveyed the rights violations they faced to her father Ramazan Yavuz during her weekly phone call allowance.
Regarding the phone conversation, father Yavuz stated; “We have been told that no measures have been taken against coronavirus in prison. Therefore, the prison administration imposed a ban on the opinion of the political prisoners in Type-T No. 4, on the grounds that “information was shared with the public”.
There is now a ban on visits due to the virus, but the prison administration said to us, ‘After the ban is over, this penalty will still be applied’. We were also told that our 10-minute phone call allowance twice a week would be changed to 20 minutes once a week.
Also, ward searches are frequently made and guards do not have gloves or a mask on their face. The detained phone us without wearing gloves. A glass of bleach is provided once a week. In the wards, disinfection is done badly. ”
Father Ramazan Yavuz also pointed out that the detainees are at a great risk in such a process. Yavu said that the Ministry of Justice, who did not take any precautions in case of virus infection, would be responsible, “All political prisoners should be released,” the father said.
