Human Rights Association (IHD) Mediterranean Regional Agency released its report on the human rights violations, arbitrary treatments and oppression in Osmaniye T2 Closed Prison.

IHD Mediterranean Regional Representative Yasemin Dora Şeker stated that guards provoke prisoners and instruct them to remove their shoes in order to prove that they are not trying to smuggle anything into the cells after they meet with visitors. IHD Adana Branch Co-President İlhan Öngör said that there were more than 150 YPG and PYD members or Kobanê residents that are currently imprisoned in Turkey, and said that they would be applying to the Constitutional Court for the unlawful arrests of YPG and PYD members.

IHD Adana Branch held a press conference to announce its reports on human rights violations that take place in Osmaniye T2 Closed Prison. IHD Adana Branch Co-President İlhan Öngör, association administrators, HDP Adana Provincial Co-President Hüseyin Yıldız, HDP administrators, and representatives from NGOs such as TUHAD-FED participated in the press conference. IHD Mediterranean Regional Representative Yasemin Dora Şeker said that they visited the prison on June 1 after receiving news of grave human rights violations.

Şeker stated that prisoners were not allowed to meet with their lawyers and guards constantly called prisoners terrorists, hit them and forced them to take their clothes off before being searched, in order to provoke prisoners and later give them disciplinary punishments. Şeker stated that 10 to 12 PYD members stay in cells for three people and the prisoners are asked to take off their shoes in order to prove that they were not smuggling anything into the cells after seeing visitors. Şeker also reported that the quality of food was purposefully lowered and TV channels such as IMC were blocked in order to provoke the prisoners.

Şeker said that YPG fighters Muhammed Muhammed, Erkin Selanik, Savaş Sönmez and Halis Bozkaplan were in critical health conditions and their treatments were arbitrarily prevented, which could result in permanent injuries or even death. Şeker said that YPG fighters Seyithan Baydar, Halit Ahmed, Mehmet Mehmet Ali, Harun Açık and Hüseyin Serbest were partially treated before their imprisonment but their treatments prematurely stopped later on without any explanation.

Şeker said that the prison administration assured had them that these problems would be addressed in multiple occasions but the human rights violations continued nevertheless. Şeker stated that Savaş Sönmez was not taken to hospital despite the official approval for his operation, and the only doctor in the prison only visited the facility once a week. According to Şeker, the problems of over crowdedness and malnutrition continue despite the administrators’ previous promises and deceptive statements. Şeker emphasized the importance of coming up with urgent solutions to these problems and ensuring the prisoners’ access to basic human needs such as nutrition and health services.

IHD Adana Branch Co-President İlhan Öngör stated that there were more than 150 YPG and PYD members or Kobanê residents that are currently imprisoned in Turkey, and the only reason for their arrest was their decision to fight against ISIS. Öngör reminded that fighting against ISIS or being PYD or YPG members were not against the Turkish Constitution, and said that the only explanation offered for these imprisonments is a police statement saying that PYD may have connections with PKK. Öngör said that these arrests were nonprocedural and unlawful, and added that they would apply to the Constitutional Court for the imprisonment of YPG and PYD members.