Imprisoned journalists Mehmet Güles and Idris Yılmaz have denounced to have been subjected to psychological torture.

The two journalists are held in Elazığ High Security No: 1 Closed Prison and said that they had their correspondence censored and that they were asked for money to get Kurdish books delivered to them.

Zelal Pelin Doğan, a lawyer from the Legal Department of the Media and Legal Studies Association (MLSA), visited Güles and Yılmaz last Wednesday (25 July), and confirmed that letters and faxes were not given to the two journalists and that they were subjected to psychological abuse.

It was learned that the prison guards were shouting at night to wake up detainees and singing racist marches.

The journalists, said the lawyers, have reported that “neither visit nor conversations with other detainees are possible. Even if one wants to say hello to another prisoner while being brought somewhere, the guards prevent this."

Yılmaz said that interpreter services should be used in order for prisoners to get Kurdish books. A person who requested the book said that he asked to be paid a fee of 1000 TL (around 200 euro).