The ban on Newroz has reached prisons as guards used pressurized water and batons against female PKK inmates celebrating Newroz in Bakırköy Women’s Closed Prison. Gülistan Sarbas had a phone conversation with her sister Hatice Sarbas, a PKK-member inmate, and spoke to ANF regarding the developments in Bakırköy.

TWO WOMEN INJURED

Hatice Sarbas has been in prison since 2013 and told her sister Gülistan that the inmates burned a fire and danced in the prison yard on March 21 in order to celebrate Newroz, and guards used pressurized water and batons to attack them. Two women were hurt during the attack and the inmates called for the legal intervention of a lawyer regarding the issue.

Gülistan Sarbas noted that she called the prison administrators, who then hung up on her and refused to communicate.

'AKP IS RESPONSIBLE IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO THEM'

Lastly, Gülistan Sarbas applied to the Human Rights Association (İHD) İstanbul branch, Amnesty International and TUAD regarding the incident, and said that it was the AKP government and the prison administration who would be responsible for any harm that may be inflicted upon the inmates.