Human rights defenders: Pandemic was turned into a tool for revenge 

2020-05-17 14:08:05


	İSTANBUL- Human rights defenders stated that the government has turned the pandemic into a tool for revenge and called for sensitivity and solidarity for the political prisoners to be released.

	
		According to the data published by Human Rights Association (IHD) there are 1333 ill prisoners, 457 ou of them being heavily ill. The new exectuation law regulated by AKP-MHP alliance government excluded these ill prisoners, who are already in the risk group amid COVID-19 pandemic.
	
		 
	
		İHD İstanbul Branch President Gülseren Yoldai made the following statement regarding to the situation in prisons: "After the pandemic it has become impossible for the prisoners to go out in the infirmacy and see a doctor. They already had problems to reach medical threatment and now they have lost it all. So the ill prisoners are sentenced to death twice by both being excluded from the execution law and their own health problems."
	
		 
	
		Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) President, also a medical specialist Prof. Dr. Şebnem Korur Fincancı told: "They dol the prisoners who were on trial for 'terror' related crimes were excluded, but the conception of 'terror' is so broad. If any opponent citizen criticizes the President of the Republic or the governemnt they are accused of terror crimes. İHD data shows that there are 456 heavily ill prisoners and this number is being added with the new COVID-19 cases. And we are in no condition to actually specify the exact numbers of cases in prison. That is why we are deeply concerned. When we consider the situation of ill prisoners, the state is guilty of violatiing the right to live."
	
		 
	
		MA/ Erdoğan Alayumat