Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Van deputy Özdal Üçer has tabled a parliamentary question concerning the brutal assault on political prisoner Zeki Duman in Van F Type prison.

Üçer reminded that Zeki Duman's mother Şefika Duman was told that his son had been transferred to the psychiatric hospital in Elazığ when she went to the prison to visit her son on November 4, after the indefinite and irreversible hunger strike in the jail began on October 27.

Duman's brother Rahmi who went to Elazığ E Type prison to learn about his brother's situation on November 6, learned that Zeki had been assaulted by fifteen prison officers who raided wards and attacked a group prisoners who knocked at doors for three minutes to protest against the violations of rights in the jail.

Zeki Duman was also subjected to violence by prison officers while being taken to the Yüzüncü Yıl Research Hospital in Van after the incident. He was later referred to Elazığ Psychiatric Hospital.

Üçer also called attention to the systematic psychological pressure imposed on the so-known “stone throwing children” in Van prison, and noted that three child prisoners, Ozan Büyükbaş, Mazlum Demir and Ali Ertunç, have recently attempted suicide because of the repressions they face in prison.

Üçer stated that two other prisoners, Memduh Özdemir and Rıdvan Turan, were also assaulted by prison officers, while three others, Şerafettin Demir, Murat Demir and Zeki Turgut, were tortured, 132 prisoners banned from communication for three months because of the letters they wrote to the parliamentary commission for human rights, and five others were put in one person cells for ten days.

BDP Van deputy pointed out that ill prisoners were denied permission for treatment and communication with their families, and suffered from disciplinary punishments and transfers to other prisons.

Üçer directed the following questions for which he demanded an answer from the Minister of Justice Sadullah Ergin;

- Has any action been taken against the assault and torture Zeki Duman was subjected to while in prison and during his transfer to hospital?

- Has Zeki Duman deliberatively been transferred to Elazığ Psychiatric Hospital with an aim to cover up the physical torture he was subject to? Or, does his transfer aim to turn the physical torture imposed on him to psychological torture?

- Are you informed of the systematic torture faced by the so-known “stone throwing children” in jails? Has the Ministry received any letters or complaints in this respect or opened an administrative or judicial investigation into the physical and psychological torture committed by prison officers?

- Considering the fact that the hunger strike in Van prison has ended with an agreement, what could be the purpose of the punishments and restrictions imposed on prisoners there after the strike?