Van TUHAY-DER: Policies of repression in prisons worsening
Van TUHAY-DER co-chair Cetin Uyar said that the pressure policies in prisons increased after the elections and called on the government to end isolation.
Van TUHAY-DER co-chair Cetin Uyar spoke to ANF against the policies of torture, isolation and intimidation applied to Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan and all political prisoners recently. Uyar urged the public to be sensitive about prisons.
Uyar said that Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan has been kept in severe isolation conditions for 25 years, and added: “For the last 3 years, he has not even been allowed to meet with his family, and we are worried about Mr. Abdullah Öcalan's health. We want him to meet with his family and lawyers as soon as possible. It is our call to the Ministry of Justice to end isolation. The Kurdish people started a petition in 2005 and collected 6 million signatures. They declared that they accepted Abdullah Öcalan as their political will. People want to hear about him. The isolation imposed on Abdullah Öcalan is imposed in all prisons in Turkey. In addition to political prisoners, even ill prisoners are kept under heavy isolation. Political prisoners were deprived of their right to watch television and read newspapers. They have difficulties with letters and family visits. An intimidation policy is in place. We urge the prison administration and the Ministry of Justice to stop persecuting political prisoners."
’S-Type prisons are torture chambers’
Uyar continued: “While we were fighting against F-types, the government built S-Type prisons. Policies of persecution and oppression are applied in these prisons. The Ministry of Justice is allowing crimes to be carried out in prisons. New provisions for prisons should be made immediately in new constitutional arrangements. There are prisoners without arms and legs in prisons and they are held in harsh conditions. We cannot accept this. As the families of the detainees, we reject this. Our political prisoners must be released immediately. Mr. Abdullah Öcalan needs to be allowed to have contact with his family immediately. We demand that the needs of all friends in prison be met. We invite our people to be sensitive to the crimes against humanity in prisons.”
