Human rights violations against prisoners continue in the prisons of Kurdistan and Turkey. Most recently, inmates in Elazığ (Xarpêt) began a hunger strike in response to the torture and rights violations they have been subjected to, while the release of hundreds of prisoners is being postponed on the grounds of decisions issued by the Administrative Observation Board. Selim Yıldırım, the brother of Mehmet Sait Yıldırım, a political prisoner who spent 30 years in jail, stated that these violations do not align with the spirit of the ongoing process and said: “They cannot build an atmosphere of trust through this unlawfulness.”
Mehmet Sait Yildirim (73), a chronically ill political prisoner who has spent 30 years behind bars, is currently being held in Izmir Kiriklar No. 1 F-Type High Security Closed Prison. Yildirim suffers from chronic heart disease. Although he completed his sentence in February, his release was postponed for nine months by the Administrative Observation Board. Yildirim, who was supposed to be released on February 27, had his release deferred until December 27, 2025. The Board cited his “lack of good conduct”, his “use of organizational language while speaking with his family”, and his “failure to express remorse” as grounds for the delay. Selim Yildirim, his brother, noted that hundreds of other prisoners are also being subjected to this unlawful practice. He emphasized that not even the former State Security Courts, known for their controversial rulings, had fallen to such a level of legal deterioration. Selim Yildirim commented on the current prison policies and stated: “Hostile law continues without retreat.”
Hostile law is being applied
Selim Yildirim stated, “What is being done to the Kurdish people is persecution. Prisoners who have completed their sentences are not released. This can only be explained through the framework of hostile law. This unlawfulness is not new; it has been ongoing since the founding of the Republic.”
Yildirim also emphasized that the state failed to fulfill its responsibilities during the peace process: “A process was initiated following Abdullah Öcalan’s call. Throughout this process, it was always the Kurdish people who called for peace. However, neither the Turkish people nor the state acted in accordance with the spirit of the process. Ill prisoners are not being released, torture continues in prisons, and the execution of sentences is being postponed on arbitrary grounds.”
He is held in solitary despite being seriously ill
Yildirim explained that even during his own trial under the State Security Court, the legal practices were not as arbitrary as they are today. He said, “What is happening now goes beyond the lawlessness of those years. My brother was taken to Imrali in 2015. He had heart disease and had undergone angioplasty. They used his illness as a pretext to keep him there for nine days before transferring him to another prison. Mr. Öcalan also brought attention to this situation at the time. Mehmet Sait has not been released for the past nine years and is being held in a solitary cell. If he collapses, there is no one around to help him. Despite a ruling from the Constitutional Court, he is still not allowed to stay with his fellow inmates.”
Yildirim added that although his brother’s sentence officially ended in February, the execution of his sentence was once again postponed and stated, “The justification was that he ‘displays organizational behavior in his solitary cell’ and ‘uses organizational language while speaking with his family.’ There are hundreds of prisoners facing the same injustice. These decisions are completely incompatible with the spirit of the peace process.”
We want action, not words
Finally, Yildirim called on the government: “We stand for peace, we wait with our hearts in our hands. How does the state expect to carry out a meaningful process under such unlawful conditions? They ask someone who has spent 30 years in prison, ‘Are you remorseful?’ The Administrative Observation Board has practically turned into a court of its own. We want justice, not persecution. The government must take steps in line with the spirit of the process. These words must turn into action. First and foremost, torture and violations must come to an end.”
Source: ANF News
