The Human Rights Association (IHD) Diyarbakır branch has released its report on violations of rights in prisons in eastern and southeastern Turkey. According to the report, a total of 3263 violations were registered in prisons in the Kurdish region last year.

Speaking at the press conference on the report , IHD Prisons Commission Member lawyer Resul Tamur said prisons are among the main scenes of violations of rights in Turkey. Tamur criticized state authorities for taking no step to prevent right violations and other problems in prisons where -he underlined- violations recorded a remarkably high increase in 2012.

Reminding of the recently released IHD report on ill prisoners, Tamur said that there are currently 306 ill prisoners in Turkish prisons and that among them many are facing a life-threatening situation. Tamur remarked that the prisons problem in Turkey needs to come up with a solution and ill prisoners should urgently be released to avoid further deaths in prisons.

Referring to the solitary confinement of PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) leader Abdullah Öcalan, Tamur said that isolation is among the most worrying right violations and that it has dragged the Kurdish issue into a more challenging point. “Mr. Öcalan must be provided with conditions enabling his meeting with his family and lawyers in a freer environment”, he underlined.

Tamur reminded of the 68-days hunger strike by Kurdish political prisoners last year and remarked that the inmates involved in the protest were later transferred to prisons away from their hometowns and families.

Tamur ended his statement by calling on all circles to fulfill their responsibilities for the protection of human rights in prisons and to adopt a stance against the injustices inmates are suffering from.

Below a list of the statistical figures of violations of rights registered in prisons in the Kurdish region in 2012;

*Deaths or injuries: 26 dead, 65 injured

*Cases of torture: 186

* Cases of transfer: 1303

*Violations of the right to health: 239

* Cases of ban on family visits: 25

*Cases of isolation: 28

*Cases of ban on the right of communication: 319

*Violations during the mass hunger strike: 15

*Other violations and applications from prisons: 32

*Total: 3263 violations of rights