ANKARA - Taking part in the meeting with the delegation of the UN Subcommittee for the Prevention of Torture, HDP MP Hüseyin Kaçmaz said: "The SPT should examine İmralı which is the source of torture, isolation and civilian death."

 

The United Nations (UN) Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture (SPT) is holding talks with non-governmental organisations, human rights organisations and bar associations regarding the implementation of the recommendations given during its visit to Turkey in 2015 and the violations of rights. The delegation consisting of Head of Delegation Suzanne Jabbour (Lebanon), Catherine Paulet (France), Daniel Fink (Switzerland) and Juan Pablo Vegas (Peru) is expected to complete their visit on September 15.

 

As part of the visit, the delegation also met with the members of the Parliamentary Human Rights Investigation Commission (İHİK) on September 6. Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) İHİK member Hüseyin Kaçmaz told the details of the SPT's visit to the Mesopotamia Agency (MA).

 

WHICH ISSUES ARE ON THE AGENDA?

 

Noting that the chairperson of the AKP commission informed some people during the visit, Kaçmaz said: "There were some statements about the activities, studies and what was wanted to be done. The government made a statement denying systematic torture. Even though some individual problems and violations are acknowledged, there is no evidence that systematic torture is in Turkey. We objected to the transfers of the AKP president. We also gave information about the violations of rights in prisons, the changes made in the execution law, the prisoners are held despite serving their sentence and the isolation in Imrali Prison."

 

THEY HAVE BEEN SILENT TO THE ISOLATION QUESTION

 

Expressing that the committee remained silent when asked about the isolation in Imrali, Kaçmaz said: "I asked them that they will visit Imrali Prison, which is the starting point of these rights violations. They remained silent to my question. I did not receive a positive or negative answer. I expressed that if there is a study to prevent torture and violations of rights, it is necessary to identify the Imrali isolation on the spot, which is their starting point."

 

'INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ISOLATION'

 

Expressing that the AKP-MHP government as well as international institutions are responsible for the isolation, Kaçmaz said, "Turkey is a party to the European Convention on Human Rights, within the jurisdiction of the United Nations Committee for the Prevention of Torture. But social isolation is practiced in Imrali. There are no visits from Lawyers and family and also no phone call right. This is torture on its own because there is no communication with the outside world and this social isolation is actually a type of torture. It is no longer enough to define it with the phrase torture. The cessation of communication with the outside world is neither in the constitution of Turkey nor in the international conventions. According to the constitution, everyone is equal, convicts have rights according to the law on execution. They have the right to talk to their families and lawyers and to telephone. AKP-MHP's anti-Kurdish policies violated the law."

 

'SPT SHOULD EXAMINE IMRALI'

 

Noting that the silence about the isolation exacerbates the problems, Kaçmaz said: "The main reason for the decline in human rights and freedom of expression in Turkey is the isolation in Imrali. Once the law is violated  it spreads to the whole society. If it is going to carry out its work as a committee as it is stated, SPT should  visit Imrali.  It should also examine Imrali which is the source of torture, isolation and civilian death. In order to prevent isolation and torture, the SPT must conduct an investigation and publish its report after it has prepared. The isolation must end."