Rights violations against prisoners in Kurdistan and Turkey’s jails are increasing day by day. In these prisons, where systematic torture takes place, prisoners are deprived of their communication and health rights. The Turkish state’s application of the "enemy law" in its prisons evolves to new dimensions each day. While prisoners’ rights to life and health are being violated, these violations have escalated to the level of torture. 

Speaking to ANF about the rights violations in prisons, lawyer Fırat Taşkın, a representative of the Federation of Associations for Legal Aid and Solidarity with Families of Prisoners and Convicts (MED TUHAD-FED), said: "Prisoners held in jails, which are inherently unhealthy environments, are subjected to physical, psychological, and mental pressure policies. Severely ill prisoners are kept in jails following reports from the Forensic Medicine Institution (ATK) that are far from medical ethics, and because of the unlawful attitudes of the prosecutor’s office and law enforcement authorities. Despite the deaths of hundreds of prisoners, laws motivated by such political considerations that disregard the right to life are not being implemented.

Prisoners whose hospital referrals are delayed by 3-4 months are subjected to degrading mouth searches during their transfers. Those battling severe illnesses regret going to the hospital due to the use of double handcuffs and isolation transport vehicles. Denied even the most basic right to healthcare, prisoners are held alone in 15-20 square meter cells where sunlight and fresh air cannot reach. They can only go out for 1 or 2 hours a day into the yard to interact with prisoners from neighboring wards. However, in many prisons, even joint yard time is arbitrarily prohibited under various pretexts. 

Prisoners deported to cities far from their families face additional challenges as they are unable to meet with their loved ones. Even their right to communicate is restricted arbitrarily. These and similar practices worsen prisoners' health conditions, escalating to violations of their right to life. " 

'Prisons are being used as laboratories'

Highlighting that rights violations in prisons have reached the level of torture, Taşkın added: "The ruling authorities, who implement and tolerate these policies, are building projects like High-Security and S- and Y-Type prisons to alienate prisoners from their reality as social beings. Through current practices, prisons are essentially being used as laboratories. The aim of these inhumane policies is to create individuals who do not think, do not react, and simply obey.

How can we discuss health in prisons that have been turned into laboratories of torture through physical, psychological, and mental abuse?

The current prison policies themselves are already a public health issue. Policies that disregard even the most fundamental right of citizens - the right to life - will go down in history as a black stain. These problems can be resolved by ending the isolation policy, which is the root cause of these violations. Through this ongoing isolation policy, the message being sent to prisoners and peoples, embodied in the case of Mr. Abdullah Öcalan, is: ‘If you do not think like me, even your most basic rights will be denied.’” 

‘Dialogue platform must be established’

Addressing the absolute isolation imposed on Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, Fırat Taşkın said: 

"We recently saw that Mr. Abdullah Öcalan was allowed to meet with his family. However, the unjustified prevention of lawyer visits continues. Calls to end the absolute isolation, which has persisted in a state of total communication blackout for 43 months, have been met with denial by the government. Yet, Bahçeli’s recent statements basically exposed the reality of isolation. In that case, the principle of equal application of rights to all prisoners must not be overlooked. These rights should not be treated as favors or bargaining chips. The isolation policy, which is the biggest obstacle to Turkey’s democratization, must be abandoned, and a platform for dialogue must be created that includes all segments of society."