Violation of rights in Antep jail increasing, says prisoner

Şemsettin Kargılı, who is imprisoned in Antep H Type Prison, said that violations of rights have increased in a telephone conversation with his family and added that 8 people were given the quantity of food sufficient for two.

Şemsettin Kargılı, who has been in prison for 27 years, said in a telephone conversation with his family on 22 October that violations of rights in prison have increased. Stating that his health is not good and his disease is progressing, Kargılı said that he could not be treated because they could not go to the hospital.

Kargılı stated that he was not treated by the doctors when he was referred to hospital before. “We cannot go to the hospital, even if we go to the hospital, they keep us in a solitary cell for 15 days, they prescribe wrong medications. Conditions are getting worse. We are currently experiencing complete isolation and conditions similar to those experienced after the 12 September 1980 military coup. There is no physical attack, but the psychological pressure is high."

Stating that the food distributed was brought from another prison, Kargılı said: “The meal sufficient to feed 2 people is shared by 8 people. It is okay to have less food, but the meals are also bad and often have gone off. They tried to poison us with the food.”

Stating that there are 8 people staying in an area of 4 square meters, Kargılı added that the conditions in prison were getting worse.

Antep H Type Prison officials, whom we reached by phone, denied the allegations of rights violations.