CHP’s 2nd appeal to Parliamentary Commission on Human Rights with regards to torture claims
BirGün Ankara
CHP Members of the Parliament’s Commission on Human Rights Watch Veli Ağbaba, Zeynep Altıok, Şenal Sarıhan, Fikri Sağlar, Mahmut Tanal, and Gamze Akkuş İlgezdi had previously submitted a proposal to the committee for claims on torture and maltreatments in prisons to be investigated. As their proposal has not been taken into consideration, they have brought it up again.
In the proposal, it was emphasized that claims about torture and maltreatment in prisons have spread quite widely and the Commission was reminded that it was the responsible body to investigate such claims. CHP MPs who are members of the Commission had also called on for the Commission to hold an emergency meeting.
However, their call was deemed by AKP officials as a ‘tendency to show support for FETÖ members’. Then, CHP members objected these allegations and stated that ‘this act of pointing finger was nothing but an effort to lie and distort the truth and it was an aim to prevent the Human Rights Commission of the Parliament from doing its job.’
‘The prison guards that take the government as an example’
In the second proposal, the CHP MPs included the following statements: “It has been observed that the guards at prisons, which see the government as an example, have portrayed serious changes in their approach and attitude. Claims about an obvious increase of violence – boh psychological and physical – towards inmates or those arrested have been received from all across the country. And, it has also been claimed that these acts of violence are not being carried out only towards those convicted with regards to the coup attempt but to all inmates who had previously been jailed. In addition, reports have also been shared in media that severe violence and torture is being perpetrated against those who get arrested and held in custody at police stations and those arrested are also being forced to testify.
One of the rudimentary purposes for the existence of the Human Rights Watch Commission and its sub-commission on Conditions in Prisons is to investigate and reveal the truth about the claims on torture and maltreatment. At a time when such claims are seriously on the rise, it is really unacceptable for these commissions to stop working. Therefore, once again, we demand that these claims get evaluated and investigated immediately in order for truth to come out with regards to the conditions of those arrested at police stations and inmates in jails.”
Source: https://www.birgun.net/haber-detay/chp-den-cezaevleri-icin-ikinci-basvuru-130311.html