26 political prisoners in İzmir's Aliağa Şakran Prison launched a hunger strike on February 15 to demand an end to the aggravated isolation of Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan and the human rights violations and physical and psychological torture in prisons.

The Şakran Prison has turned into a systemic torture center and every day new incidences of rights violations and torture come to light. Families going for visitations are subjected to mistreatment and physical torture in the prison and healthy communication with the inmates is impossible due to communication penalties issued to prisoners. The prison administrator or other officials cannot be reached to provide information regarding the conditions of the inmates.

Inadequate and low-quality food is given to prisoners, whose medical needs are not satisfied and they are forced to wear handcuffs when taken to the hospital.

Families of Şakran prisoners are concerned. They are subjected to verbal and physical abuse on entering the prison and during the searches, and if they protest they receive monthly visitation bans. A pregnant woman was beaten by male and female guards with whom she had a quarrel as she was searched during a visit.

İzmir Solidarity with Prisons Initiative Spokesperson Selma Altan stated that prisoners in Şakran Prison have been suffering from human rights violations that stain the honor of humanity for a very long time now, and stated the followings;

“Prisoners cannot see each other when they go out in the yard to get fresh air, and have to stand on attention during roll-call. Officials have begun to check the prisoners' shoes as they go to the yard. Their medical needs are not satisfied and they do not receive treatment even when they are taken to hospital because they are forced to wear handcuffs. All social areas including the library are forbidden and the yard is covered with wires.”

Altan said lawyers state that the prisoners are in good morale and determined to continue the hunger strike, adding; “The dire situation in Şakran Prison is yet to be resolved. We are totally unable to meet with the prison administrator and prosecutor on the issue. I invite human rights defenders and the public opinion to do something against this matter.”

Altan remarked that the inmates in Menemen T Type Prison are also tortured physically and psychologically, and are being watched through the cameras installed in wards for 24 hours.

PRISONERS ON HUNGER STRIKE

Şakran T2 Section: Eren Tekin, Sinan Ekmekçi, Mustafa Akaş, Cengiz Doğan, Necdet Kaya, Erhan Ergüz, Murat Duran, Kasım Özdemir.

Şakran T3 Closed Section: Zana Yaktın, İhsan Balkaş, Özgür Güçlü, Özkan Yaşar, Aslan İlhan.

Şakran T4 Section: Abdullah Aksu, Yusuf Özdemir, Roni Yavuz, Muhammet Bıru, Şivan Bilik, Ahmet Azad, Nayif Yargın, Veysi Kaya.

Şakran Women's Section: Hürriyet Doğan, Mahsune Şedal, Cihan Asi, Meryem Söylemez, Gurbet Öztürk.

The demands of the prisoners on hunger strike in Şakran Prison are as follows:

- End the isolation imposed upon Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan.

- Give medical attention and treatment to sick prisoners.

- End standing on attention during roll-call.

- End mass ward raids by the guards.

- End guard harassment during visitation.

- Remove limitations from social activities and books.

- Remove the name tag policy.

- Ensure inter-ward communication.

- End systemic oppression in the prison.