The Prison Commission of the Izmir Branch of the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD) held a press conference at the association building in Bayraklı to announce the report on rights violations in prisons in the Aegean Region in 2024.

The lawyers visited the Izmir Women's Closed Prison, Izmir 1, 2, 3 and 4 T Type Closed Prisons, Izmir 1 and 2 F Type Closed Prison, Izmir High Security Prison, Menemen T and R Type Closed Prison, Ödemiş T Type Closed Prison, Manisa T Type Closed Prison, Akhisar T Type Closed Prison, Bodrum S Type Closed Prison, Balıkesir L Type Closed Prison and Burhaniye T Type Closed Prison to write up the report.

The spokesperson of the Prison Commission of the Izmir Branch of ÖHD, Eylem Zengin, said that human rights violations in jail have become systematic. Isolation, torture, ill-treatment, deportation, disciplinary punishments, and postponement of execution of seriously ill prisoners in prisons for a long time, are among the most urgent issues, said Zengin, adding: "The prevention of the right to health services in prisons, being taken to hospitals in single-ring vehicles, being handcuffed behind the back, have examinations while handcuffed and be subjected to oral searches, late or no referrals to hospitals, and inadequate numbers of healthcare personnel working in prisons are all violations of the right to life. Despite all applications, seriously ill prisoners are not released."

Zengin added that judicial pressures continue on families, guardians, lawyers and relatives who deposit money for prisoners, and said that isolation is applied more severely in the new types of prisons that are being built.

Zengin said: "It is a necessity to stop the construction of these new prisons, which have been scientifically proven to have negative effects on human mental and physical health, as well as being clearly contrary to human rights. Indeed, rights violations are frequently experienced in Izmir High Security Prison and the Bodrum S Type Prison, which recently opened in the region."

Lawyer Zengin protested to the isolation imposed on Abdullah Öcalan, Ömer Hayri Konar, Hamili Yıldırım, Veysi Aktaş in Imrali, and said: "Independent boards should be allowed to enter prisons and conduct investigations. Legal arrangements should be made so that relevant institutions, primarily independent professional and human rights organizations, will be involved in the inspection of prisons."

Zengin called on the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Health, Parliamentary Human Rights Investigation Commission, Ombudsman, Human Rights and Equality Institution of Turkey and all relevant institutions and organizations "to do what corresponds to them to ensure the end of the rights violations experienced in prisons."