​​​​​​​Intellectuals: Turkey violates international laws regarding prisoners

In light of the rapid outbreak of the Corona virus in the world, and the doctors' inability until now to reach a vaccine that eliminates it or reduces its effect, Turkey is also witnessing an outbreak of this virus that has killed more than 1,500 people in addition to infecting thousands of others.

The situation in Turkey is further complicated by the fact that the virus has exceeded the walls of the detention centers in Turkey, as the authorities announced in the words of the Minister of Justice last Monday that 17 prisoners in five prisons were infected with the virus and three of them died.

The Turkish authorities also passed a controversial law that would allow the release of a large number of prisoners who committed crimes, but it excluded the political prisoners who oppose the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, which was criticized by jurists.

Turkey is particularly secretive about the conditions of Imrali Island prison, where the leader Abdullah Ocalan is located with a number of other prisoners, as his family and lawyers are prevented from contacting and meeting him.

About this, the co-chair of the Intellectuals Union in Kobanê canton, Leyla Abdo, says: "The conditions of political prisoners and those who demand rights and freedom in the Turkish detention centers are still unknown, including Imrali prison."

The humanitarian organizations called for a speedy intervention and revealing the conditions of the detainees whose rights are violated by the Turkish state through not disclosing their health status and not visiting doctors and their relatives to them.

In addition, the member of the Intellectuals Union, Ahmed Nebo, explained that "the Turkish prisons are known as the prisons of Hell, and every place in Turkey even the stadiums turned into prisons, where the innocent people are thrown."

Thus Turkey is at the forefront of countries that violate human rights, freedoms of expression and international conventions relating to prisons and detention centers, especially after the coup d'état in 2016, as the number of detainees after the coup d'état exceeded more than 150,000 arbitrarily detained and the fate of most of them is still anonymous.

Turkey has become the seventh globally in terms of Corona infections, which has reached more than 62,000 registered cases.

Nebo also noted that "Turkey has released tens of thousands of perpetrators of crimes while keeping the politicians who are prisoners of conscience, including the leader Abdullah Ocalan."

At the end of his speech, Nebo called on the United Nations to intervene swiftly to protect the prisoners in Turkey who are now at risk and who are more vulnerable to this disease.

D.H

ANHA