Pressure against prisoners has increased in the Kandıra Prison. Former co-chair of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), Figen Yüksekdağ, who is held in Kandıra Prison, said, “The government is directly responsible for possible deaths.”
It is reported that violations of rights have recently increased in Kandıra No. 1 F Type Closed Prison in Kocaeli province. The routine searches carried out once a month are now carried out every 3 days, and the roll calls, which were carried out twice a day, have been increased to 3 times a day. The cells where prisoners are held are changed frequently and ordinary and ISIS prisoners are placed in between the wards of political prisoners.
The prisoners who met their lawyers stated that the last roll call during the day was carried out at 00.00 at night.
“The children staying with female prisoners are seriously affected by this situation. There are children who do not sleep at night and cry incessantly. There is no clear explanation for these arbitrary searches and roll calls at 12 o’clock at night as the right of the prisoners to meet their families is prevented, the common areas of isolated prisoners are restricted, and all activities are ceased due to the pandemic restrictions. There is serious psychological violence against the inmates.”
Yüksekdağ sent the following message through her lawyers: “In the Kandıra F-Type prison where we stay, pressures and tensions are on the rise. The government and the Ministry of Justice are directly responsible for all the problems or possible attacks and deaths in prisons. The violations of rights and the crackdown in prisons should be stopped immediately.”
