HDP MP Şevin Coşkun brings deaths and violations of rights in prisons to Parliament's Agenda

HDP Muş MP Şevin Coşkun brought the deaths and violations of rights in prisons to the Parliament's Agenda.

HDP Muş MP Şevin Coşkun brought the IHD (Human Rights Association) report on deaths and violations of rights in prisons to the Parliament's Agenda.

Coşkun underlined that 13 deaths occurred in prisons in 3 months.

She also said that Sibel Balaç and Gökhan Yıldırım, who have been on death fast for more than 220 days, are getting worse every passing day.

The MP referred to some of the highlights of the Human Rights Report and said that prisoners do not have access to health and 90 people applied to the IHD to expose the rights violations they were subjected to.

Coşkun said: “Article 17 of the Constitution states that ‘everyone has the right to live and to protect and develop their material and spiritual existence. The right to life is the foundation of all rights. It cannot be violated, not even in war, martial law and emergency situations’. However, there are many violations of rights, especially the right to life in prisons.

According to the report for April-May and June published by the Ankara Branch of the Human Rights Association on 27 July 2022, at least 13 detainees and convicts lost their lives in prison in the past 3 months, 651 out of 1,517 ill prisoners are seriously ill. The report said that 5 of those who lost their lives in prisons were seriously ill, 4 died suspiciously, and 4 allegedly committed suicide.”

Coşkun MP, asked: “Is there an investigation launched into the death of 13 people in prisons?

Has the Ministry investigated whether there has indeed been a violation of ill prisoners’ rights to health? Has the Ministry investigated whether the suicide allegations made by the prison authorities regarding the death of some of the prisoners who died are true?”