* Photo: Ömer Evren Atalay - İzmir / Anadolu Agency (AA)
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According to the latest statement of the Ministry of Justice dated April 27, 120 arrestees and convicts have tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in four prisons across Turkey. While all of them have been hospitalized, none of them is reportedly in intensive care.
Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) İstanbul MP Züleyha Gülüm has addressed a Parliamentary question to Minister of Justice Abdulhamit Gül and noted that "the Ministry does not share information about the prisons where arrestees and convicts have tested positive, when they were diagnosed with the virus and whether they have chronic diseases or not."
Were the released prisoners tested for the virus?
Gülüm has also referred to the allegation that in Silivri Prison, where 44 prisoners have been diagnosed with the virus, eight prisoners are in intensive care and 191 prisoners have been infected with the virus so far:
"It is also uncertain how many arrestees and convicts have been released based on the amended law on criminal enforcement and whether these people were tested for COVID-19 before they left the prison or not.
"Since the onset of the outbreak, lawyer and family visits have been physically banned. So, it is highly likely that virus is transmitted by wardens. Necessary measures need to be taken based on this possibility.
"The public needs to be informed about how many wardens and prison personnel have been diagnosed with the disease, when they were diagnosed and in which prisons these people are on duty."
How many patients are in intensive care?
In her Parliamentary question addressed to Justice Minister Gül, HDP MP Gülüm has briefly asked the following questions:
* In which prisons have 120 arrestees and convicts been diagnosed with COVID-19? When were they diagnosed?
* What is the total number of arrestees and convicts diagnosed with the virus, including the cases diagnosed after the Ministry's statements? How many of the confirmed cases are arrestees and convicts? How many women arrestees and convicts have been diagnosed with the virus?
* As of today, how many arrestees, convicts and wardens have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in Silivri Prison? When were they diagnosed? What is the number of patients who are currently in intensive care?
* How many convicts have been released based on the amended Law on Criminal Enforcement and some other laws? Were these convicts tested for COVID-19 before leaving prisons? How many of them tested positive? Were the ones showing the symptoms without testing positive tested again? Have the necessary measures been taken about the ones who tested positive?
* Given that arrestees and convicts have been banned from meeting their families and lawyers since the onset of the outbreak, it is highly likely that this outbreak has been by transmitted wardens and other prison personnel. Within this context, how many wardens and prison personnel have tested positive for COVID-19? Have the ones who were in contact with the positive cases been identified and tested as well?
* In which prisons are the wardens who have tested positive for COVID-19 on duty? When were they diagnosed with the virus? (AS/SD)
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