The Human Rights Association (IHD), Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) and Turkish Medical Association (TTB) organised an event titled ‘Well-Type Prisons’ in Ankara to draw attention to the rights violations in prisons.

Hüseyin Küçükbalaban, Co-Chair of IHD, Metin Bakkalcı, President of HRFT, Şebnem Korur Fincancı, President of TTB and many other participants attended the event held at IHD Headquarters. A banner reading ‘Close Well-Type Prisons’ was hung in the hall.

‘Prisons have turned into a well’

Şebnem Korur Fincancı stated that the problems in prisons are increasing and said, “Prisons have become the centre of serious rights violations and torture. Prisons have turned into a well, we are all at the bottom of this well. All our rights have been taken away from us. Concerts and documentaries are banned. 567 years of imprisonment are sought for 46 people who wanted to march to Taksim Square. They have thrown all of us to the bottom of this well.”

12 more prisons to be opened

Referring to the hunger strikes in Turkey, Şebnem Korur Fincancı said: “Hunger strikes have exceeded their 220th day and bear serious health risks. The new type of prisons remind us of a well, therefore we call these prisons ‘well-type prisons’. While F Type prisons were known as isolation prisons in the 2000s, now S and Y Type prisons have much more severe conditions. The Ministry of Justice aims to open 12 new prisons in 2024.”

Over 78 thousand people imprisoned in the last 8 months

Drawing attention to the capacity of prisons, Fincancı said, “As of 2 May, the capacity of prisons is 295,328 and there are 403 penal execution institutions. However, over 33 thousand people are being held over capacity. This makes it difficult to share water and food. The prison population in Turkey is changing rapidly; over 78 thousand people have been imprisoned in the last 8 months, the highest increase in the last period.”