DIYARBAKIR - Families, who have been staging a sit-in at Diyarbakır Bar Association for the last 60 days for the ill prisoners and for the prisoners who are not released despite they served their time, stated that they will continue their protests until their demands are met.

 

The Justice Watch, which was started on November 16, 2021 by the families whose relatives are in prison has left 2 months behind today.Families demand the release of  more than 1.600 ill prisoners and those who are not released despite they served their time with reports by the Prison Monitoring Board, despite their sentences have expired. Families met with representatives of Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), Republican People's Party (CHP), Felicity Party (SP), Democracy and Progress Party (DEVA), Future Party and many non-governmental organizations in Ankara in order to better voice their demands. However, despite all the attempts, the demands of the families were still not met. Families stressed that they will continue the protests until their relatives are released.

 

DEMAND FOR FREEDOM 

 

Reşahat Ada who visits the bar everyday for her sister Mahdusena Ada who is suffering from heart disease, said: "Our meetings were positive. We told them we were there for our children and asked them not to let us down. We explained the pressured on the prisoners and they took notes." Underlining that they will continue the sit in until they get results. We will take to the streets for our children if necessary. We will stage sit ins in front of the court house or the Ministry of Justice. We will continue to demand the release of sick prisoners until we have justice."

 

CONTACTS IN ANKARA 

 

Writer Herdem Mervanî, the daughter of seriously ill prisoner Abdülhalim Kırtay (73), who has been imprisoned in İzmir Şakran Type T Closed Prison and has been in prison for 30 years, has been participating in the protest since November. Stating that they have two main demands, Mervanî said that they want the violations of rights in prisons to end and the conditions of prisons to be improved. Reminding that many NGOs and political parties offered support for these demands, Mervanî said, "Law and politics were the missing aspects for us. We talked to many political parties and NGOs, especially CHP and Felicity Party in Ankara." 

 

Stating that they gave the message that "Kurdish death is not cheap. Political prisoners are not alone" during the meetings, Mervani said, "They have a desire to do something, but they do not take any steps. There was a report prepared by lawyers and doctors in this meeting. We also presented a report in which the names of 38 prisoners who needed to be released urgently were listed. They stated that they will send the report to the Ministry of Justice and that they would follow up on it."  Mervanî stated that they plan to meet with all political parties and NGOs in Diyarbakır for their demands.

 

DON'T LET PRISONERS LEAVE PRISONS IN COFFINS

 

Fevziye Kolakan (71), the mother of Ahmet Kolakan, who was arrested at the age of 18 and held in prison for 28 years, criticised to the violations in prisons. Kolakan said, "They shouldn't consider us to be slaves. The prisoners are not being treated. Don't let the prisoners leave the prisons in coffins. I call on to all families of ill prisoners to join us. We will be here until we get results."

 

 

MA / Mehmet Gules