İSTANBUL - Stating that the problems in prison have grown with the outbreak, IHD İstanbul Branch President Gülseren Yoleri said that the prisoners who show the signs of infection are not transferred to hospital and not get tested.
Along with the whole world, coronavirus (Covid- 19) continues to spread in Turkey. While the bill on execution which excludes the political prisoners was adopted by the parliament, Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gül told that 3 prisoners lost their lives because of the coronavirus in prison and the treatment of 13 prisoner continues which further increased the concerns of the families of prisoners.
Relevant associations and organizations, on the other hand, indicated that the measures taken against the epidemic in prisons were insufficient and reacted to discrimination in execution. Evaluating the situation in prisons, Human Rights Association (İHD) Istanbul Branch President Lawyer Gülseren Yoleri stated that there too many violations of rights experienced in prisons with the outbreak.
OUTBREAK IS A SERIOUS THREAT
Yoleri, stating that the issue in prisons is serious, said the main problem is the occupancy rate in prisons. Yoleri said: "Protective materials are not provided due to the epidemic. Some prisoners who show symptoms of disease are not sent to the hospital and they are not tested for the coronavirus. Even if they get tested, their results are not shared. The treatment of those with chronic disease requiring continuous treatment and control is interrupted. Requests for referral to the infirmary are limited with once a month. The guards entering the wards without protection for search or count increases the risk of spread."
Yoleri, stating that they have recieved too many applications during the outbreak, called out to the families of the prisoners and said: "Please get information from your relatives when you speak to them on their weekly phone call and send the information you receive from them via phone number 0212 244 44 23 and e-mail address istanbul@ihd.org.tr.
Underlining that the problems experienced in prisons can only be overcome with external solidarity, Yoleri called on the public to be more sensitive, alert and more insistent to the problems in this process.
MA / Erdoğan Alayumat