Prisons in Turkey have become centers of torture where fundamental rights are being systematically violated. In these prisons, where detainees are treated as captives and deprived of all basic human rights, reports of ongoing torture and deaths continue to surface in the media. Human rights defenders and legal experts are working to bring these violations to public attention through the reports they prepare.

Ahmet Güler, a lawyer and member of the Prisons Commission of the Diyarbakır (Amed) Branch of the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD), spoke to ANF about rights violations in prison.

Güler said: "The ÖHD visited prisons in Diyarbakır, Erzincan, Erzurum, and Elazığ. During our visits and fieldwork, we observed numerous rights violations, particularly the right to life, as well as the rights to communication, to submit petitions and complaints, to be treated with dignity, and to access healthcare.

At the root of these violations are the poor physical conditions of the recently constructed S-Type and Y-Type prisons. Prisoners held in these facilities are subjected to isolation and solitary confinement, which has led to widespread rights violations. The political attitude toward prisoners and attempts to sever their ties with the outside world are further deepening the violations of their right to life."

Sick prisoners cannot access healthcare

Güler emphasized that the problems faced by ill prisoners are among the most urgent and critical issues within Turkey’s penal system. He said: "Delays in transferring sick prisoners to infirmaries and hospitals, lack of access to adequate medication even after referral, and late diagnoses of certain illnesses, combined with prison conditions being unsuitable for ill inmates to survive, poor healthcare services, and a shortage of doctors, nurses, and medical staff, all worsen the conditions of sick detainees.

The current requirement to obtain a report from the Forensic Medicine Institute in order to postpone a prison sentence presents serious problems. In essence, this amounts to a violation of the right to life. Recently, the refusal to postpone the execution of sentences for prisoners whose health has deteriorated and who are unable to survive on their own constitutes a direct violation of the right to life."

The practice of impunity leads to an increase in violations

Güler pointed out that no legal action is being taken by the judiciary against those responsible for rights violations in prisons, and stated the following: "Due to the widespread culture of administrative and legal impunity in Turkey, effective investigations are not being conducted against officials who commit these violations.

The investigations that are opened remain superficial and yield no concrete results. The lack of independent monitoring mechanisms and the deliberate obstruction of on-site inspections in prisons have institutionalized this culture of impunity. The lack of judicial independence and the presence of political pressure prevent effective investigations into the actions of those responsible. These officials are protected by a shield of impunity in the name of preserving the reputation of the state. This situation has resulted in widespread and severe human rights violations."