The Free Lawyers Association (ÖHD) Ankara Branch Women's Commission published its report on Sincan Women's Closed Prison at a press conference.

Sevda Aydın said that, instead of preventing the massacre of women, the government has made it a primary policy to attack every area where women's gains are made and to imprison women whom they cannot subdue. She added that the co-presidency and women's struggle were criminalized and made the subject of trial.

Aydın said that thousands of women have been arrested for fighting for equality and freedom and that inhumane practices, especially strip-searches, are carried out in prisons. "Our report makes it clear that strip-searches, solitary confinement, battering, torture, as well as execution laws are prepared with a male perspective and do not contain provisions specific to women and aimed at meeting their needs. The male mentality is making incredible efforts to release the perpetrators of violence and rapists in prison, but the women remain in prison. The government stays away from making any arrangements to prevent discrimination based on gender, to protect women against such discrimination and to prevent discrimination.”

Women prisoner left to die

Stating that women are exposed to many problems in prison, Aydın said: "The first violation for women begins with strip-searches at the entrance to the prison. Many applications are made to our association with torture allegations. However, the biggest problems related to prisons are experienced by ill prisoners. Applications made to the Ministry of Justice and the prison administration for ill prisoners to be treated in hospitals are rejected and ill female prisoners are left to die. In particular, the right of access to health turns into torture with political prisoners taken to hospital in handcuffs during their transfer.”

Call for sensitivity

Calling on the authorities to immediately put an end to the inhumane treatment suffered by all women in prison, starting with those in Sincan Women's Prison, and to implement the recommendations presented in the report, the ÖHD lawyer said: “Moreover, we encourage all women to protest the treatment of prisoners in jail. We urge people to be sensitive to this issue.”