Women’s Organizations Report 4 Prisoner Women Being Tortured in Elazığ Prison

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Women's organizations have held a press conference in front of the İstanbul Human Rights Association (İHD) İstanbul Office regarding the claims of torture in Elazığ T-type Closed Prison.

According to the information provided by the women's organizations, political prisoners İlke Başak Baydar, Gizem Yamaç, Çiğdem Kılıç and Dersim Konak have been on a hunger strike since November 1 due to tortures.

The organizations have informed that the women prisoners were forced to wear a name badge and that those who refused to wear a badge, we put in solitary confinement cells.

Representatives from the Socialist Women's Assemblies (SKM), Revolutionary Party Women, Democratic Women's Movement (DKH), Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Women's Assembly, Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) Women's Assembly and New Democratic Women (YDK and TJA) have attended the press conference.

Joint call for solidarity

In the statement, women's organizations have stressed that women prisoners were being deprived of all their social rights in the prison, that the organizations were not able to contact the women prisoners.

Against the claims of torture in Elazığ Prison, the organizations have called everybody, particularly women for solidarity with the women prisoners.

Raids in wards with pressurized water

Speaking at the press statement, Gülçin Aykul has informed that the women prisoners were being exposed to psychological and physical torture in Elazığ prison and noted:

"The guardians have raided the wards saying 'a fire broke out' and have tortured the women with pressurized water. They carry out an act of systematic torture".

Fadime Çelebi: Prisoner İlke vomited blood because of tortures

Speaking on behalf of SKM, Çelebi has informed that woman prisoner Baydar, who had also gone on a hunger strike, had to vomit blood due to tortures and added:

"The state that tries to oppress the social opposition in Turkey and Kurdistan, attempts to design the prisons today as well. This one in Elazığ is the beginning rehearsal of the state".

* İlke Başak Baydar had survived the Suruç massacre in July 2015 with injuries.

Çelebi has also stated that the women prisoners were being strip searched and harassed or were being threatened with rape.
Ayşe Berktay: Guardians call the prisoners 'You are not women anyway'

Berktay speaking on behalf of the HDP Women, stated:

"[...] Since AKP (Justice and Development Party) has come to power, the number of women prisoners has risen by 63%. We are among the first four countries in the world with this regards.

"Male guardians, when entering the women's wards to make a headcount, call the women prisoners who do not stand up, 'You are not women, you are prisoners'. They are not prisoners, they our friends who have been taken hostage by the state, and they are women.

"The male-dominated mentality tries to melt away women in their own post. The ones who demand a name badge, will have other demands tomorrow. We will not allow our friends be oppressed, and we will not behave!".

Call for protest on Saturday

The organizations have planned to send a fax to Elazığ Prison against the torture claims and for solidarity with the political prisoner women on November 18, at 2 p.m. from Galatasaray Post Office. (TP/DG)