A vigil was launched in Basel to draw attention to the increasing state persecution and torture of political prisoners in Turkish jails and to demand the immediate release of seriously ill prisoners.

The vigil is being held in Claraplatz and is promoted by the European Democratic Power Union (ADGB) with the slogan "We are defending life". The vigil will be held every day between 6 and 7 pm until Friday, 7 January.

A statement was made on behalf of the ADGB (European Democratic Power Union) at the beginning of the vigil. "The news of deaths, harassment, rape and torture from the prisons does not stop and the treatment of ill prisoners has turned into torture in itself. We will continue to expose the state torture of prisoners wherever we are."

The statement also drew attention to the data published by the IHD on ill prisoners, showing that there are 1,605 ill prisoners, 604 of whom are seriously ill. The statement added that the usurpation of rights, exile and torture continued in prisons.

The statement underlined that 7 prisoners have died in prison in the last month alone and added: "The state tells people that these prisoners died because they were ill or committed suicide. But the killer of revolutionary and patriotic prisoners such as Garibe Gezer, Vedat Erkmen and Halil Güneş is in fact the state. Although hundreds of prisoners are seriously ill, no action is taken and the prisoners are left to die. Former HDP MP Aysel Tuğluk and hundreds of progressive, revolutionary and patriotic prisoners continue their resistance despite their severe illnesses. Let's take action and be the voice of prisoners. Let’s support the struggle of prisoners against the violation of their rights, exile, torture. Let's fight against the massacres carried out by the Turkish state. Let's increase solidarity and action to achieve the release of ill prisoners."