No end to torture and violations of child prisoners
No end to torture and violations of child prisoners
Three children transferred from Mardin Prison to Sincan Children's Prison suffered violence while in Mardin prison. TUHAD-FED has highlighted the serious problem of torture of child inmates, saying it will take the issue to parliament.
Six minors in Hakkari Prison were given disciplinary penalties by the Hakkari Public Prosecutor for allegedly fomenting a mutiny on the anniversary of the founding of the PKK on 27 November. H.D. (17), B.T. (17), D.A. (15), S.D. (16), F.E. (16) and B.D. (17) were then exiled to Sincan Children's prison on 18 December. No indictment has yet been prepared for the children, who were arrested in house raids in Hakkari two months previously for alleged involvement in protests. The children told lawyers that their families would find it difficult to visit them and said they wanted to be nearer their families. The children said some of their friends had been transferred to Van F Type prison. The children's families have applied to the Hakkari branch of the Human Rights Association.
Three children suffered violence
In Mardin prison child prisoners E.K., B.K. and İ.B. were transferred to Sincan prison on 14 December. It is reported that the children were beaten while in Mardin, and spent 3 days in the prison vehicle.
Issue to be raised to parliament
According to information received from the Ankara office of TUHAD-FED, the children transferred to Sincan from Hakkari and Mardin were placed in separate blocks. TUHAD-FED Ankara representative Hava Özcan said she had spoken to BDP MP İdris Baluken, and that the subject of mistreatment and torture of child prisoners would be raised in parliament.
'Torture and violations continuing'
Özcan said: “There is increasing abuse of child prisoners. There are now 15 political detainees in Sincan children's prison. There are lots of rights violations such as strip searches, use of truncheons when fitting handcuffs, forced standing to attention like soldiers, and compulsory asking for permission to go to the toilet. In order to bring an end to this we will take it to parliament."
