Money transfers of relatives to prisoners examined in investigation

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Twenty-six people were detained in the scope of an investigation carried out by İstanbul Chief Prosecutor's Office against relatives of prisoners. Six of those detained were remanded in custody while the others were to be taken to the courthouse later yesterday.

Some of those remanded in custody are over 70 with serious illnesses.

Lawyer Seda Şaraldı told bianet that some of the detainees were relatives of prisoners while some others were members of the Solidarity Association of Prisoners' Families (TAYAD) which was closed.

Why did you send prisoners shirts?

75-year-old Mehmet Güvel who is one of those remanded in custody has Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and has been released from prison due to this in 2003 with a pardon from the President.

Güvel was asked in the Police Headquarters and in the prosecutor's office why he has sent clothes such as shirts and pants to the prisoners. Again his TAYAD membership years ago and his participation in press conferences related to sick prisoners were shown as evidence against him.

Again Güvel's money transfers to the account of the prisoners at the prison were regarded as evidence and a reason for remanding in custody, and he was charged with "providing financial aid to the organization."

Official document regarded as "organizational connection"

Lawyer Şaraldı told bianet that prison visits and transfers of money to the prison for relatives and friends were used within the accusations made.

Şaraldı said, "Information on official documents of TAYAD, which is a legal association, received from the Ministry are placed in the file and shown as "organizational connection." This is the violation of the freedom of association."

"Questions were addressed to those detained on why they went to prison visits or why they deposited money on a prisoner's account when that person was not a relative."

Money can be deposited to a prisoner's account according to the related regulation.

200 lira "financial aid to organization"

Money transfers of Nagehan Kurt in the years of 2016 and 2017 were included in the investigation file, which ranged between 10 to 150 lira (33-45 Euro). And according to the list for the period before 2016, the maximum amount of money transferred is 200 TL (around 70 Euro).

The examination of the transfers of money to the accounts of the prisoners goes back as early as 2012. The maximum money deposited in the list is 200 lira while usually, the transfer amount is 50 lira.

(AS/PE)