The Human Rights Association (IHD) Van Branch shared the report it prepared about the violations in the city's prisons.

IHD Van branch chair, Murat Melet, and executive Servet Ertak and lawyer Mehmet Karataş attended the meeting held at the association building.

In their statement the IHD executives said that violations in prisons have continued to increase.

"Campus prisons alone are the cause of rights violations," the statement said.

The statement underlined that visits were held on 18 February with Media Aslan in Van T Type Closed Prison, Ferhat Sayıner in Van High Security Closed Prison and Ergin Balta in Van F Type Closed Prison.

REPORT

The report prepared following the visits carried out by the committee said the following: 

"* The restriction of books, magazines and newspapers in all three prisons and the absence of Yeni Yaşam newspaper still continue

* In all three jails prisoners are not provided with timely access to the infirmary and hospital referrals are not carried out

* Telephone call rights are violated

* Activity, sports and meeting rights continue to be partially implemented (in T-type prison they are just being implemented now, after a long interruption)

* In Van High Security Closed Penal Execution Institution, radio was seized

* In Van High Security Closed Penal Execution Institution, the material purchased from the canteen was seized after it being forbidden once it had been brought to the ward

* In Van High Security Closed Penal Execution Institution, the petitions of the convicted prisoners whose sentence is less than one year, are directly rejected by the prison administration

* In Van F Type Closed Penitentiary Institution, the money deposited in the name of a prisoner was not accepted on the grounds that it was not deposited by his family, and the prisoner was left without money

* In Van F Type Closed Penitentiary Institution, hair shavings are not made with hygienic environment and tools, causing allergies in the scalp and neck

* In Van F Type Closed Penitentiary Institution, the prison doctor comes only two days a week and only for a half day, thus causing problems in emergency cases

OBSERVATIONS AND RECCOMENDATIONS

The IHD made the following observations and reccomendations: 

* First of all the most urgent problem is that the legal rights of prisoners are not respected in Van Campus Penitentiary Institutions. Prisoners' legal rights are prevented without any reason

* It has been determined that the prison administration has a general attitude of pressure, coercion (frequent searches of wards, combining wards, confiscation of TVs and radios, seizing items purchased in the canteen, etc.)

* It has been determined that prisoners are punished by prison's authorities without legal grounds 

* Newspapers, magazines, books, etc., are not given to prisoners without any legal explanation.

* Freedom of information and access to public information are denied."