Three political prisoners jailed in the Espiye L-type prison in province of Giresun in the Black Sea region north of Turkey have been on hunger strike since March 18. Among other things, they are protesting against the confiscation of their medicines by the prison authorities.

The prisoners joining the hunfer strike are Suphi Akbaş, Aras Aslan and Serkan Akkuş. They reported about the conditions in the high security prison in a telephone conversation with their relatives. According to them, the repression against prisoners imprisoned for political reasons has intensified again with the Corona pandemic. Arbitrary disciplinary measures such as solitary confinement and confiscation of books were one of the consequences. More serious, however, was the suspension of the yard exercise.

In view of the rampant coronavirus there is great uncertainty in the massively overcrowded prison. Since the pathogen finds ideal conditions for spreading in prisons, prisoners are faced with the question of how to deal with the risk of infection. In addition to going out in the yard and being able to move around in the fresh air and keep their distance from their fellow prisoners, the prisoners are also denied access to the infirmary. The prisoners on hunger strike are experiencing health problems, which means that they belong to the group with an increased risk of severe Covid-19 disease infection.

The prisoners' relatives have announced that they will contact the human rights association (IHD).