VAN - Criticising the Forensic Medicine Institude for giving reports to ill prisoners that keep them from being released from prison due to their health issues, İHD Van Branch President Mehmet Karataş said that the Forensic Medicine Institude (ATK) is a politicised institution."

 

The continued aggravated isolation on PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan is getting heavier by the day while violations in prison is sky rocketing. According to the data of the Human Rights Association (İHD), there are more than 1,600 sick prisoners, 604 of whom are seriously ill. The reports given by the ATK keeps the ill prisoners from being released despite the reports given by the hospitals says that they can't manage their lives alone in prison. Human Rights Association (İHD) Van Branch President Mehmet Karataş made evaluations about the isolation, the situation of ill prisoners and the violations of rights in prisons. 

 

'ISOLATION IS A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY'

 

Karataş said: "The violations of rights in prisons have become chronic. The isolation spreaded to all prisons with the isolation of Mr. Öcalan which leads to many violations of rights. Isolation is a crime against humanity. The Turkish state does not recognise its own laws, or the international law. Isolation is the main reasons of the problems in prisons and it spreaded to all prisons."

 

'CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS WERE VIOLATED'

 

Emphasizing the situation of the prisoners who are not released despite having served their time in prison, Karataş said: "The institutions in Turkey is adopting the official ideology of Turkey which leads to serious violations of rights. With the newly execution law, the right to conditional release of the political prisoners was taken away from them. The initiative was given to the commissions, legal security was left aside, unfortunately the freedom of individuals was left to the commissions. This is a violation of the person's right to legal security. This situation led to violations of fundamental rights in the Constitution. Thus, the constitutional rights were violated.

 

Karataş, who also emphasized the situation of sick prisoners in prisons, stated that despite the attempts, the sick prisoners were not released on the grounds of the reports given by the ATK. Karataş said, “ATK is a politicized institution. In 2021, 59 sick prisoners died in prison or right after they were released. ATK is not fulfilling its duty as a health institution. Very rarely, the ATK gives a report that the ill prisoner in question should be released. But they consult with the law enforcement on the release and they present their opinion and say that the individual is a threat to society'.

 

AUTHORITIES SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION

 

Pointing out to the sit-in protests in Van, Diyarbakır and İzmir, Karataş said: "The concept of justice is just a word on paper in Turkey. We support the sit-in protests of these families. The authorities must fulfill their responsibilities. Otherwise they will be the reason of the deaths in prisons. The demands of these families must be met immediately. "The steps to be taken will be an important step for rights and freedoms."