PKK-PAJK Prison Committees stated that the coronavirus outbreak would provoke a real crisis in prisons. The committees called for resistance against the AKP-MHP fascism and its intention to provoke a tragedy in jails.
The PKK-PAJK Prison Committees said: "Prisons in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan have worked for years as torture places and death houses. Hundreds of our comrades have fallen martyrs from disease or resisting unbearable tortures in prisons. After the 12 September [1980] coup, the fascist general Kenan Evren used to say of prisoners 'shall we not hang but feed them?'
The AKP-MHP fascist government today has stepped up the massacre-genocidal policies. Hundreds of ill comrades have been left to die with the logic of 'shall we let them live?'
The statement added: "While all humanity is struggling with the coronavirus pandemic, the AKP-MHP fascism does not hesitate to use this epidemic to continue its Kurdish genocide. On the one hand, isolation is being imposed to our Leader, which is our reason for life, on the other hand, the municipalities elected by our people are seized. The government, instead of developing a serious strategy to fight the coronavirus pandemic, is busy launching new military and political genocide operations. At present, all our comrades in prison, beginning with our Leader, are facing massacre. We know that the virus has already been detected in some prisons."
The statement continued: "The AKP-MHP fascist government must know that it will be responsible of whatever happens in prisons. In this respect, it is essential to release all prisoners without losing time, beginning with Leader Öcalan and sick prisoners. This is the only way to normalize the political environment and develop social solidarity in Turkey. Today, each of us is trying to protect ourselves from the epidemic somehow. But we should never forget that thousands of comrades are in prison just because they are Kurds and want freedom for the Kurdish people. All sensitive people, prisoners' families, democratic circles, civil society organizations and all organized components of our people must resist the tragedy that AKP-MHP fascism wants to see."
The statement ended with this remarks: "As always, it will be the resistance of our people that will determine the outcome of what will happen. In this respect, we call on all our people to act together and demand the release of all political prisoners, especially Leader Öcalan and sick prisoners."
