VAN - “Our children have been left to fate in the prisons. When will this silence end? Are you waiting for new dead bodies to be taken out from prisons?” said the prisoners’ relatives, who react to the ongoing rights violations in the prisons.

 

The rights violations in prisons are increasing day by day. The prisoners resisting the rights violations have faced to be exiled.

 

‘We cannot speak Kurdish’

 

Yahya Özmen is a prisoner, who set himself on fire in order to protest the ongoing rights violations in the prison. His mother Vesile Özmen said, “I cannot speak Kurdish while visiting my son in the prison. We are treated like a 'terrorist' by prison officers. Our children have faced many rights violations. The prison officers keep our visiting time short. After the declaration of the state of emergency, the rights violations have been increasing.”

 

‘End this silence’

 

Reporting that her son has been in prison for 14 years and he has been held in solitary confinement for eight years, Vesile said, “My son set himself on fire in order to protest this inhumane treatment. But their torture doesn’t end. My son has been subjected torture while he should be taken to the hospital. Our children have been left to fate in the prisons. They are waited to die. We don’t accept this. We hurt in our heart. I hope they also hurt in their heart. They should end their torture. Everyone stays silent against the ongoing torture in the prisons. How long will this silence continue? All Kurdish people shouldn’t accept this persecution anymore.”

 

‘Release our children immediately’

 

Visiting her three children in prisons, Zine Doğan said, “My children have been exiled to different prisons. I cannot visit them due to financial difficulties. I can only visit one of them every month. This persecution should be ended, release our children immediately.”