IHD Istanbul Branch chair, Gülseren Yoleri, drew attention to the hunger strike in prison, which has entered its 241st day, and called on the authorities to comply with the law.
The indefinite alternating hunger strike launched on 27 November 2020 demanding the end of the isolation of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan who has been held in Imralı High Security F Type Closed Prison for 22 years, and increasing rights violations in prison, has entered its 241st day. Since 14 July, prisoners have increased the hunger strike days and are now fasting 15 days each, instead of 5.
Lawyer Gülseren Yoleri, a member of Marmara Hunger Strike Monitoring Committee and Head of the Istanbul Branch of the Human Rights Association (IHD), spoke to Mezopotamya Agency about the action carried out by prisoners.
Yoleri said that the health of the detainees is getting worse by the day.
Reminding that prisoners on hunger strike are given disciplinary punishments, Yoleri said: “When we examine the punishments, we see that they actually aim at aggravating the isolation. There is nothing acceptable about this. Because the demand of the hunger strikers is to end the isolation.”
Yoleri said that they are concerned that the protest will evolve into an indefinite hunger strike or a death fast, as happened in the past. She reminded that prisoners either lost their lives or suffered from permanent health problems during the hunger strike actions carried out in previous years. “The demand of the action is actually for the government and the state to implement their laws. In other words, we are talking about a problem that can be solved by the implementation of the law. It is appalling that to demand the implementation of the law people have to put their lives at risk.”
Yoleri said that the monitoring committee has applied to the central level authorities, the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT) and some international institutions, but has not received any response so far. “We also know that the action will evolve into a more radical process as long as the insolvency continues. Time is running out. We are evolving into a process where we can experience a more difficult situation. This is the process that requires the most effort. We have to bring out the energy, reaction and sensitivity that can produce a solution to this problem without loss of life. Our call to the authorities is to implement the Constitution and fulfil its responsibilities.”
