Metin Uyar, who has been on a hunger strike for 40 days in the Giresun Espiye L Type Closed Prison against rights violations and the crackdown of the prison administration, talked to his family on a phone call this morning (Jan. 16). Uyar said that the isolation of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan had spread to all other prisons. He stated: “This isolation tramples down on human dignity, humanity and identity. There is a fascist tendency in the Espiye Prison. They directly attack our Kurdish identity here. There is physical and psychological torture. They do not refer our sick friends to hospitals. We are not given Kurdish books. Our wards have been raided for the last few days, and our friends taken away in handcuffs. Some of our friends were beaten and they received assault reports. We have sick friends who are about to die.”

'WE WILL NOT COMPROMISE ON OUR HONOR'

Uyar revealed that intraoral searches are imposed on prisoners during hospital referrals. He continued: “They force us to make a choice between honour and health. We will not compromise on our honour even if we lose our lives, even if we are all killed. This honour is our value and our struggle. What we are subjected to is directly related to isolation. We don't even know what will happen to us after this phone call. We will resist and we will never take a step back. Our families and all relevant institutions must do their part. We want the Human Rights Association (IHD), bar associations and those who fight this torture system to hear our voices. If the isolation is lifted, this torture will end.”