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News and Comment by The Kurdistan Tribune:
Reports of the rape and abuse of Kurdish children and juveniles held in Pozanti Prison, Adan, have caused a storm of outrage. Evrensel newspaper broke this story, which has made headlines across the Turkish media, with first-hand accounts of beatings, psychological violence, humiliation and rape of children who were imprisoned for throwing stones at the police on political demonstrations but were put in the same cells as adult prisoners sentenced for criminal offences.
These are some of the statements made by the children (who have since been released):
H.K. (14): who was imprisoned at Pozanti prison for four months said: “Some of my friends were repeatedly raped by the criminal convicts. Sometimes they would force us to take off our trousers. It’s impossible for me to explain”.
S.A. (17): who was forced to become an informant and beaten by police before imprisonment said: “I experienced unimaginable things there. The criminal convicts would tie a rope around our necks and tighten it. They would beat us. They were calling us terrorists and forcing us to kiss the Turkish flag. When we refused they would beat us again. Most of our friends are ashamed of seeing each other, because they can’t forget their experiences. We asked for our wards to be changed on numerous occasions but the prison authorities did not respond”.
A.K (17) said: ‘The criminal convicts would force our friends to their beds at night. They beat our friends in front of our eyes and cracked their heads open. The prison authorities always covered up the incidents”.
Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Deputy Sebahat Tuncel has demanded that the Ministry of Justice take immediate action. “What happened in Pozanti is a shame for Turkey” he said. “The Ministry of Justice has to depose the prison management from office immediately without investigation”.
Human Rights Association Mersin Branch Chairman Ali Tanrıverdi told bianet that the Parliamentary Human Rights Commission had months ago documented that the Pozanti Prison was not suitable for children and juveniles.
“The Human Rights Research Commission prepared a report about prisons for children and juveniles. The report said that the physical structure of the Pozanti Prison was not suitable for juveniles and that it should be closed. But the requests related to this issue were not met”.
Tanrıverdi stated that the allegations made by the children in the Pozanti prison were first forwarded to the authorities in July 2011 when the children had asked to be transferred to different cells.
“We requested to separate all 32 children and juveniles at the Pozanti Prison from the ordinary convicts. This has not been done until today” he said.
We urge our readers to contact the UNICEF media department with the above information, calling on them to take action to publicise this matter internationally and launch a campaign to end these crimes against humanity.
Send your emails to: media@unicef.org.uk
