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Arrested in the Edirne Type F Prison since November 2016, former Co-Chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Selahattin Demirtaş has raised concerns that the restrictions imposed on family and attorney visits that were imposed due to the pandemic are still in place in prisons.
Sending a message from prison, Selahattin Demirtaş has made the following statement on his social media account:
"The restrictions imposed on family and attorney visits in prisons due to the pandemic are still in place.
"The Justice Ministry is making efforts to turn the restrictions into a permanent usurpation of rights, thereby turning the crisis into an opportunity.
"I am saying this more for other prisoners than us. The Edirne Prison has been rocked by protest slogans for the past 20 days. Do you hear?
"The leaders of the opposition who pay various visits; would you consider visiting the prisons with a population of 300 thousand?
"When you come to power, prisons will also be affiliated with you. You had better see the state of prisons on site ahead of time. I have seen enough."
Başak Demirtaş slammed it on TV
Başak Demirtaş, the spouse of Selahattin Demirtaş, attended a program on Fox TV in early October and indicated that they had been unable to make a contact visit in prison for the past 19 months:
"Before the pandemic, we could make three non-contacts visits and one contact visit in a month, but we have been unable to make a contact visit for 19 months. Our daughters have been unable to hug their father for 19 months. We can make only two non-contact visits in a month.
"It is impossible to understand this. I am sorry to say this, but this situation has turned into an arbitrariness. Both Selahattin and I have been vaccinated. We are in a state to have a contact visit, but even a non-contact visit can be held twice a month. There can be no explanation for this. I would like to call out to the Justice Minister: Why is our right to visit still restricted?"
The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) launched a probe on the grounds of Başak Demirtaş's remarks. (AÖ/SD)
