Turkey’s early release law discriminates against political prisoners: HRW
The Turkish government has also been slammed for not addressing the situation of those held in pre-trial detention, which make up a significant portion of the country’s prison population.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Wednesday criticized Turkey for discriminating against political prisoners in its early release law enacted to ease overcrowding in prisons amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Turkey’s law authorizing prisoner releases specifically excluded tens of thousands of prisoners arbitrarily detained or unjustly convicted under anti-terror laws, among them journalists, human rights defenders, elected politicians, lawyers, and others,” the HRW statement read. “Those excluded include some prisoners with serious underlying medical issues.”
In mid-April Turkey’s parliament adopted an early release law that categorically excludes those convicted on terrorism-related charges, which prompted widespread criticism from dozens of rights groups in Turkey and around the world who decried the country’s anti-terror prosecutions as being abusive and politically motivated.
The Turkish government has also been slammed for not addressing the situation of those held in pre-trial detention, which make up a significant portion of the country’s prison population.
Media reports claimed that the COVID-19 outbreak has been rapidly spreading behind bars, particularly in İstanbul’s Silivri Prison, where the majority of political prisoners are held.
Source: Turkish Minute
