Lawyers for Freedom Association (ÖHD) Amed Branch and the Association for Assistance of Prisoners' Families (TUAY-DER) said that the release period of 28 prisoners in 13 prisons in Amed, Antep (Dîlok), Elazig (Elezîz), Ercincan (Erzîngan) and Erzurum (Erzirom) provinces was blocked. A report prepared on these violations was presented at a press conference held in the building of the Federation of Legal and Solidarity Associations of Med Prisoners and Convict Families (MED TUHAD-FED).

Imrali isolation is spread to all prisons

Speaking at the meeting, ÖHD Prison Commission member Zeki Binbir drew attention to the isolation imposed on Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan. Binbir said that the families of Abdullah Öcalan and prisoners Veysi Aktaş, Hamili Yıldırım and Ömer Hayri Konar have not been able to meet them for 4 years, 8 months and 21 days, and that the visit of a lawyer has been prevented for 4 years, 3 months and 17 days. Binbir said: "For 2 years and 8 months, the state of absolute lack of communication continues. The isolation imposed in İmralı is spreading to all prisons."

Binbir said that Prison Administration and Observation Boards act as "judicial mechanisms", adding that "the concept of 'good behaviour', which directly affects the right to personal freedom and security, is left to the arbitrary approaches of these boards."

Binbir said: "With this regulation, the Administrative and Observation Boards have become the decision-making authority in cases where only the judicial authorities can make a decision about the prisoner, in a way that even exceeds the powers of the judicial authorities. Prison administrations are abusing the powers given to them with the new regulation. This practice must be stopped immediately."

Binbir continued: "Prisoners whose parole rights are denied due to the illegal approaches and decisions of the Administrative Observation Boards in the closed penal institutions we include in our report must be released immediately. With this report, we invite the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT), the Ministry of Justice and the Turkish Grand National Assembly Human Rights Investigation Commission to take action against the rights violations experienced by prisoners."