In its response to a parliamentary motion in November, the Ministry of Justice stated that 2,258 judicial detainees and prisoners lost their lives between 2018 and 2023. Considering the data shared by the Ministry in the past and its latest response, the number of prisoners who lost their lives between 2002 and 2023 is at least 5,341.

 

According to the data shared by the previous minister, 89 prisoners died in 2002, 163 in 2003, 54 in 2004, 59 in 2005, 157 in 2006, 176 in 2007, 211 in 2008, 196 in 2009, 252 in 2010, 268 in 2011, 286 in 2012, 265 in 2013, 312 in 2014, 373 in 2015, 172 judicial and political prisoners in 2016.

 

It is not known how many prisoners lost their lives in 2017. Between 2018 and 2023, 2,258 judicial and political prisoners lost their lives.

 

The only data for 2024 comes from the Human Rights Association (İHD). According to IHD, at least 50 prisoners lost their lives in 9 months of 2024. Many of them are ill prisoners.

 

10 MILLION INFIRMARY APPLICATIONS IN 1 YEAR

 

Evaluating the deaths in prisons, Ömer Faruk Yazmacı, Co-chair of IHD Ankara Branch, described the practices against prisoners as "planned massacres". "We think that the thesis that 'everyone is born with certain rights and uses these rights' has been disproven," said Yazmacı and added: "When we consider the data, we are faced with a horrible picture. We are not talking about a violation of rights. We are talking about a massacre."

 

Yazmacı said that the current data is insufficient to explain the reality in prisons and stated that there were 10 million examination requests in 2023. Yazmacı stated that 3 million 115 thousand 834 of the applications were accepted and 394 thousand prisoners regularly applied for medical examination every month.

 

Pointing out that in 2024, the number of prisoners whose requests were accepted decreased by half, Yazmacı noted that 1 million 265 thousand 239 prisoners could be examined this year. Yazmacı stated that the difference was explained by "saving measures".

 

According to the data of the Ministry of Justice, only 387 family physicians are working in 405 prisons said Yazmacı and added: "The data contradicts with the Ministry's statement 'We provide one physician for every thousand people in prison'."

 

'DEATH POLICY SPREAD OVER TIME'

 

Stating that "a death policy spread over time" is in effect in prisons, "When a prisoner wants to go to the infirmary and be examined, he/she is prevented by austerity measures. After 3 months, he is taken to the infirmary. If it is seen that treatment cannot be fully achieved there, they are referred to hospital. There is a mouth search here. He/she refuses this degrading practice. Then a resistance investigation is opened against the prisoner for resisting the oral search. The prison administration referred him/her to the hospital months later. Afterwards, his/her illness got worse. However, the prisoner is subjected to examination in handcuffs and is taken back to the prison because he/she refuses".

 

'HUMAN LIFE IS NOT NEGOTIABLE'

 

Pointing to the reports of the Forensic Medicine Institution (ATK) that the prisoners "can stay in prison", Yazmacı stated that the state periodically makes the situation of ill prisoners a subject of bargaining and said: "Human life cannot be made a subject of bargaining. Abdullah Öcalan had also said during the 2013-1015 period, 'The state can start releases on this issue and then continue negotiations'. But the state did not keep its promise."

 

MA / Ömer Güngör