Bilici: AKP policies make problem of overcrowded prison worse
Bilici: AKP policies make problem of overcrowded prison worse
Transfer of prisoners have led to new right violations against prisoners and economic and psychological pressure on their families.
The overpopulation problem in Turkish prisons has made itself apparent especially in the last several years as thousands of people- including politicians, academics, journalists, students, unionists and human rights defenders- have been put behind bars in the scope of the so-called KCK (Kurdish Communities Union) operation since 2009. Prison authorities subject prisoners to exile transfers to overcome the overcrowding problem in prisons.
Mainly woman convicts have been transferred to other prisons. Most recently, 29 woman convicts in Batman M Type Prison were exiled to the Sincan Prison in Ankara on 17 July after they started a riot in protest against the state terror on 14 July and the severe isolation imposed on PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) Leader Abdullah Öcalan for the last one year.
According to the report by Turkish General Directorate of Penal Affairs, there are currently 132,369 people in Turkish prisons, consisting of 125,270 men, 4,818 women and 2,281 children. 9,083 prisoners arent provided with a bed to sleep on and the number of supernumerary prisoners is 8,076 in closed prisons and 1007 in open prisons.
Speaking to ANF about the current situation and increasing transfers in Turkish prisons, IHD (Human Rights Association) Diyarbakýr Branch Chair Raci Bilici said that the overpopulation problem in prisons is a consequence of the policies followed by the AKP government.
Bilici pointed to expanding political arrest operations and said that; The arbitrary arrest of many people who perform legal works has led to a critical increase in the number of prisoners in Turkish prisons which are filled with people two times more than their capacities.
Bilici also underlined that the overpopulation leads to critical right violations against prisoners and called attention to the situation of ill prisoners in Turkey. IHD chair added that there are currently many ill prisoners who must be treated and released immediately.
Bilici commented the exile of prisoners as torture and said that; Almost all of the prisoners in the Kurdish region are being transferred to prisons in the western side of the country. They are subjected to violence by prison officials during and after the transfer. On the other hand, their families are facing with financial problems while trying to visit their relatives in far places where they are seen as PKK members and terrorists by the people living in that region.
Bilici said that the prison problem in Turkey is directly connected with the Kurdish problem and the lack of democratization, human rights and freedoms and the rule of law.
IHD Diyarbakýr Chair warned that Turkeys prison problem will lead to greater problems unless the current conditions are improved by the AKP government.
Bilici also added that the isolation on Kurdish peoples leader Öcalan is a crime against humanity and should be ended because of the fact that the Kurdish problem cannot be resolved unless their leader is recognized as an interlocutor.
The overpopulation problem in Turkish prisons has made itself apparent especially in the last several years as thousands of people- including politicians, academics, journalists, students, unionists and human rights defenders- have been put behind bars in the scope of the so-called KCK (Kurdish Communities Union) operation since 2009. Prison authorities subject prisoners to exile transfers to overcome the overcrowding problem in prisons.
Mainly woman convicts have been transferred to other prisons. Most recently, 29 woman convicts in Batman M Type Prison were exiled to the Sincan Prison in Ankara on 17 July after they started a riot in protest against the state terror on 14 July and the severe isolation imposed on PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) Leader Abdullah Öcalan for the last one year.
According to the report by Turkish General Directorate of Penal Affairs, there are currently 132,369 people in Turkish prisons, consisting of 125,270 men, 4,818 women and 2,281 children. 9,083 prisoners arent provided with a bed to sleep on and the number of supernumerary prisoners is 8,076 in closed prisons and 1007 in open prisons.
Speaking to ANF about the current situation and increasing transfers in Turkish prisons, IHD (Human Rights Association) Diyarbakýr Branch Chair Raci Bilici said that the overpopulation problem in prisons is a consequence of the policies followed by the AKP government.
Bilici pointed to expanding political arrest operations and said that; The arbitrary arrest of many people who perform legal works has led to a critical increase in the number of prisoners in Turkish prisons which are filled with people two times more than their capacities.
Bilici also underlined that the overpopulation leads to critical right violations against prisoners and called attention to the situation of ill prisoners in Turkey. IHD chair added that there are currently many ill prisoners who must be treated and released immediately.
Bilici commented the exile of prisoners as torture and said that; Almost all of the prisoners in the Kurdish region are being transferred to prisons in the western side of the country. They are subjected to violence by prison officials during and after the transfer. On the other hand, their families are facing with financial problems while trying to visit their relatives in far places where they are seen as PKK members and terrorists by the people living in that region.
Bilici said that the prison problem in Turkey is directly connected with the Kurdish problem and the lack of democratization, human rights and freedoms and the rule of law.
IHD Diyarbakýr Chair warned that Turkeys prison problem will lead to greater problems unless the current conditions are improved by the AKP government.
Bilici also added that the isolation on Kurdish peoples leader Öcalan is a crime against humanity and should be ended because of the fact that the Kurdish problem cannot be resolved unless their leader is recognized as an interlocutor.
