The Urfa (Riha) branch of the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD) said that no political prisoner had been released from Tokat T-Type Prison in the past year due to the arbitrary practices by the Prison Administration and Observation Board.

The report, prepared by the association's Prison Commission, was shared at a press conference. Commission co-spokesperson Meral Halat summarized the identified human rights violations in the prison as follows:

"Coercion to express “repentance” and discriminatory practices

Prisoners are forced to declare “repentance” and to request placement in so-called "neutral wards"; otherwise, their release is denied.

Violation of healthcare rights

Ill prisoners are denied access to medical treatment and  medical transfers are prevented due to the imposition of oral cavity searches.

It was reported that Mehmet Şirin Kaya and Ilhan Talay were not taken to the hospital and were subjected to disciplinary punishments for refusing to comply with the oral searches.

This policy was highlighted as a serious risk to the health of critically ill prisoners.

Isolation and mistreatment

It was emphasized that placing Hamit Acu, who is serving an aggravated life sentence, in solitary confinement constitutes "a punishment within punishment."

Social activities have been restricted, and letters written by prisoners have been subjected to disciplinary penalties on the grounds of "propaganda for an illegal organization."

Prisoner transfers and unfair treatment

While prisoners convicted of ordinary crimes are granted certain communication privileges, political prisoners are deprived of the right to video calls.

Families of prisoners transferred to Tokat jail are forced to endure long and dangerous journeys to visit their loved ones."

Meral Halat emphasized that Turkey's current penal execution system must be aligned with the United Nations Mandela Rules. She called for the establishment of independent monitoring mechanisms and urged both the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) and the Ministry of Justice to take action.