The S Type prisons worsened the isolation of prisoners. Violations of rights continue in Iğdır S Type Closed Prison, which is frequently on the agenda with torture and ill-treatment, continue to be exposed.

On 20 February 2022, Sezer Alan and on 20 March 2022, Sinan Kaya suspiciously lost their lives there, while the prison administration tried to cover up the deaths by saying they were "suicides".

In Iğdır S Type Prison, there are many violations also against lawyers. Rıdvan Şahin, one of the lawyers who was attacked by the guards during a visit to a client, talked to Mesopotamia News about the violations in the prison and the beating against him.

'10-15 guards walked on us'

The lawyer said that he visited the prison with 3 lawyers on 14 April, following complaints of torture and ill-treatment by the families of the detainees and convicts since January. Şahin said: "One prisoner said things were so bad that he wanted to harm himself. While I was waiting in the lawyer's room, I heard screams, prisoners were saying ‘don't do it, don't hit me on the head’. Our lawyer friends warned the guards not to torture prisoners. Thereupon, 10-15 guards walked on us. The guards were waiting for an opportunity to attack our friends. When I tried to stop that, they started attacking me as well.”

Complaints of torture from prison

Stating that they kept a report about the incident and filed a criminal complaint, Şahin added: "When we talked to other lawyers, we realized that there were many complaints about this in prison. There were complaints from the detainees, but the attorney general's office refused to talk to us about it. We do not know why they did not want to meet, but we personally experienced this attack. If this is done to the lawyers, we cannot even guess what is done to the detainees. There have been complaints since January that prisoners have been oppressed and ill-treated."

The S Type was opened in the city during the Covid pandemic, Şahin said, adding: "After 2022, we received many torture complaints. It was alleged that two political prisoners committed suicide. After these deaths, more attacks began. One of my clients said that the guards are insulting them and when they respond, they take them to a room. Normally, the guards have a sound and video camera on their neck, but they turn it off when they enter the room. They beat the prisoners without being seen or heard."

The lawyer said that Fuat Bulut, another prisoner he went to visit, cut his wrists because he could not stand the torture. "During our visit last month, the prisoner told me that they were trying to intimidate them."