ANKARA - Prisoners at Kırşehir Prison reported that guards provoked judicial detainees against them, using provocative statements such as, "These are terrorists, pour boiling water on them when they are in the exercise yard."
Kırşehir High Security Prison continues to make headlines every day with new human rights violations. According to information relayed by prisoners' lawyers, the prison severely restricts basic human rights. Restrictions on access to water, bans on books and educational materials, and physical interventions have become part of daily life in the prison.
Emre Erdem and Mustafa Tolucan, prisoners held in the prison in question, shared the human rights violations they experienced through their lawyers.
RIGHTS VIOLATIONS
Prisoner Emre Erdem was transferred from Silivri No. 5 L-Type Prison to Kırşehir High Security Prison on 23 June. During a meeting with his lawyer, Erdem stated that he wanted to stay in the ward where political prisoners were held but was taken to an independent ward instead. When he submitted a request to be transferred to the ward where political prisoners were held, he reported that he was subjected to "torture" and dragged along the floor.
Regarding the torture he experienced, Erdem said: "During the torture, a disciplinary investigation was opened on the grounds that I had injured the officers' hands. After the records in the execution judges' file were examined and it was confirmed that there was no evidence of any attack on my part, the disciplinary penalty was lifted."
Erdem stated that basic needs were not being met in prisons, adding, "The hot water flows in the colour of 'crude oil'. We can only shower by heating water ourselves in a samovar. The water smells very bad."
PHYSICAL INTERVENTIONS
On 1 January, Mustafa Tolucan, a prisoner transferred from Bafra Prison to Kırşehir High Security Prison, stated during a meeting with his lawyer that, despite the exercise period being one and a half hours, prison officers came at the end of one hour and demanded a decision to reduce the exercise period to one hour. "The same officers came with the chief officer and 30 other people and physically intervened. During the intervention, one prisoner's finger was injured, and we filed a criminal complaint about this," he said.
‘POUR BOILING WATER ON THEM’
Tolucan reported that officials had taken provocative stances against political prisoners: "Recently, officials told judicial prisoners, referring to us, 'These are terrorists, don't talk to them, pour boiling water on them when they're in the exercise yard.'"
Tolucan also said that the book policy in the prison had changed and added: "Normally, we could keep 12 books with us and an unlimited number in storage. Under the new policy, we can keep 12 books in storage and 12 in our rooms. Books we have already read are not included in this number. We have been informed that any books over 12 will be destroyed."
Tolucan stressed that they were unable to go to hospital due to on-going mouth search policies and noted that they were unable to benefit from courses and workshops.