Newroz Uysal Aslan submitted a report on rights violations in Bolu F-Type High Security Prison to the Parliamentary Human Rights Investigation Commission (IHIK). It is stated in the report that prisoners were taken to hospital and infirmary late and there were serious delays in the supply for medication. It is also stated that prisoners were subjected to handcuffs, oral searches and degrading practices during transfer to hospital. 

 

It is emphasised that the transfer requests of prisoners who oppose unlawful practices are cancelled, and it is noted that gendarmes prevent treatment by not leaving the examination room especially during hospital transfers. 

 

'RIGHT TO LIFE IS PREVENTED'

 

It is stated in the report that prisoner Mehmet Çağlar had a brain haemorrhage in April and was sent back to Bolu F-Type Prison after a short hospital treatment. It is also stated that the health of prisoner Abdülvahap Kavak, who has heart and concrete plant next to the prison, and his request for transfer was rejected. “The prisoner’s right to live in a healthy environment and access to treatment has been usurped despite the law,” the report said. 

 

SERIOUSLY ILL PRISONERS IN PRISON

 

The report stressed that there are approximately 140 prisoners in the prison, most of them are ill and the number of seriously ill prisoners is 47. It was noted that all prisoners have chronic and severe health problems. 

 

OBSTACLE TO COMMUNICATION IN MOTHER TONGUE

 

The report pointed out that prisoners’ right to education and communication in their mother tongue was also violated and stated that prisoner İhsan Balkaş’s letters written in Kurdish were not sent by the prison administration on the grounds that they were “not understood”. It was stated that the prison administration demanded an interpreter fee, which clearly violated the right to communication in the mother tongue. The report emphasised that prisoners’ right to information and right to receive news was violated. 

 

It was stated in the report that prisoners’ cells and wards were frequently raided and their diaries, notebooks and notes were seized during these raids. It is stated that two Kurdish books of prisoner Mehmet Akpolat were seized by the prison administration on arbitrary grounds. 

 

'PARALLEL COURTS' EMPHASISED

 

The report emphasised that letters sent by prisoner İhsan Balkaş to his lawyer and MPs were also confiscated. It was stated that the Administration and Observation Boards in the prison prevented the release of at least 33 prisoners and that these committees function almost like a “parallel judicial mechanism”. The report stated that “Administration and Observation Boards seriously violate the rule of law”. It was stated that these structures should be reorganised and arbitrary practices should be opened to inspection. 

 

PRISONERS PREVENTED FROM RELEASE

 

The report lists the name of prisoners whose release was prevented by the decision of the boards as follows: “Abdulhamit Ahraz, Abdullah Çelik, Ahmet Abdi İbrahim, Ahmet Mustafa, Ali Murat Çelik, Ataş Göbe, Aydın Adıyaman, Aydın Yüce, Bülent Güneş, Deniz Öztürk, Hacı Ekinci, Halil Dağ, Hasan İnci, Keyfo Başak, M. Şirin Bozaçlı, Maruz Türkan, Mehmet Deniz Güzel, Mehmet Zeki Eşin, Muhammed İsmail, Murat Çetinkaya, Muzaffer Akış, Nedim Yılmaz, Nurettin Ataman, Ömer Okul, Özgür Sincer, Ramazan Vural, Sabit Kaya, Salih Korkut, Serhat Öztürk, Sinan Türkmen, Suat Gökalp, Şahap Elbasan and Tuncay Doğan.”

 

ASSIMILATION POLICY

 

Report pointed out that an execution regime that ignores human dignity is applied in prison. It was stated that examination in handcuffs, treatment under gendarmerie supervision and late transfers turned the prison into a punishment camp. The prevention of the right to communicate in the mother tongue was evaluated as a reflection of assimilation policies. 

 

DEMANDS

 

The following demands were listed in the report to put an end to the violations:

 

“*Patient prisoners should be guaranteed access to treatment.

 

*Demeaning practices should be stopped. 

 

*Obstacles in front of the right to communicate in mother tongue should be removed and translation fees should not be imposed on prisoners. 

 

*Arbitrary confiscation of books and publications should be stopped immediately.

 

*The prevention of sending letters to lawyers and MPs must be lifted.

 

*Administration and Observation Boards should be restructured and arbitrary decisions should be opened to inspection.

 

*The imposition of remorse must be ended and the right to a fair trial must be protected.

 

*All practices that prevent prisoners from participating in democratic control, the right to defence and preparation for social life must be abolished."

 

MA / Mehmet Aslan