The alternating hunger strike launched by political prisoners in Van High Security and Beşikdüzü prisons continues. Prisoners in Van High Security Prison are on hunger strike since 1 August against the increasing rights violations in prisons and arbitrary practices of the administration. They are now on their 27th day of fast.

The ongoing hunger strike by political prisoners in Trabzon Beşikdüzü T Type Closed Prison has been going on for 44 days. Mahsun Bilem (45), who has been in prison for 27 years, said in a weekly phone call with family members on 19 August that the hunger strike continues and the demands of the prisoners have not been met yet.

His mother, Hasibe Bilem said: "My son has been in prison for 27 years. There have been violations of rights in prisons all these years, but my son would never tell us what happened in prison before. Now the situation is so bad that the prisoners are not even properly fed. That's why political prisoners went on hunger strike."

Bilem said that they talked to the prison authorities because only cabbage is given to prisoners almost every day.

Bilem called for the demands of the prisoners to be accepted as soon as possible.

Some of the demands of the prisoners in the two prisons are as follows:

"* The petitions written by the prisoners to the Parliament, the Ministry of Justice and the relevant prosecutor's offices must be sent to the competent authorities

* Publications and books must be delivered to prisoners

* The ban policy on broadcasting in Kurdish must end

* Ill prisoners must be given access to treatment

* Strip searches must end

* Precautions against the rapidly spreading coronavirus in the prison must be taken and the necessary medicines must be provided

* Food must be healthy, fresh, and portions must be proper

* Social activities must be allowed

* The prison guards and the administration should put an end to their arbitrary approach to detainees.”