PRISONERS ARE ON HUNGER STRIKE IN ERZURUM H TYPE PRISON
AZG DAILY
02-04-2009
Human Rights; Turkey
Human Rights Association (IHD) Headquarters and Branches have
received many applications from arrested and sentenced people who
stay in Erzurum H Type Prison in Turkey. These applications are
about conditions of the prison. Arrested and sentenced people mention
the following problems in their applications generally; the Prison
Administration and some guardians’ biased and unfair attitude towards
them, ill-treatment and threat, not benefiting from common areas,
prohibiting from social activities, not allowing to some publications
particularly published in other languages (English and Kurdish),
not having suitable conditions to their health problems (no dietary
food), prohibition on communication in Kurdish with their families, not
implementing the Circular 45/1 (about 10 hour communication with other
prisoner in a week), not accessing legal aid, and no response to their
applications to the Prison administration and the Ministry of Justice.
After such applications, two members of the EC of IHD went to
Erzurum H Type Prison to see conditions and have a talk with
arrested and sentenced people as well as the Prosecutor of
Prison on 25.12.2008. Then the two members prepared a report on
the basis of their observations. IHD has made this report public
on 06.01.2009. However, the conditions pointed out in the report
have worsened rather than become better. As a result, arrested and
sentenced people started hunger strike in Erzurum H Type Prison on
23 February 2009.
As prisoners have been on strike for longer than 1 month, their health
conditions are getting worse and worse. They might have permanent
health problems because of such a long hunger strike.
IHD calls on everyone to do something about this serious issue.
Human Rights Association (IHD) addresses: President, Prime Minister,
Deputy Prime Minister and State Minister for Human Rights, Interior
Minister, Justice Minister, and Foreign Minister of Turkey.
Human Rights Association (IHD) is a non-governmental and voluntary
organization. It has been founded in 1986 and has approximately 10.000
members. IHD is the oldest and biggest human rights organization in
Turkey. The philosophy of IHD is carrying out activities on "human
rights and freedoms" without any exception and discrimination.