Systematic torture in Bolu Prison: 4 attacks in a month
Yüksel resister Mehmet Dersulu's sister stated that there were four attacks in a month against her brother in prison.
07.05.2021
Umut Taştan
Mehmet Dersulu, who worked as a teacher and was dismissed from his job after 13 years with emergency decree, has been continuing the action under slogan 'I want my job back' on Ankara Yüksel Street for more than 4 years.
The teacher Dersulu, who was dismissed from his job in 2017 with the decree, was detained on 13 August 2020 with Acun Karadağ, Alev Şahin, Armağan Özbaş, Mahmut Konuk and Nazan Bozkurt, and was arrested on the grounds of 'intensive action' after 8 days of detention.
Zehra Dersulu, sister of Yüksel Resister Mehmet Dersulu, who has been detained in Bolu F Type Prison for 8 and a half months, stated that her brother has been subjected to systematic torture by the guards since the day he was arrested.
4 ATTACKS ON DERSULU IN 1 MONTH
Public employee Mehmet Dersulu was attacked in prison while he was doing a sit-in, because he was deprived from his rights to books and letters. An attack on Dersulu also took place on Wednesday, and with that, he was subjected to 4 attacks in 1 month.
Stating that her brother was constantly beaten by a guard, Zehra Dersulu said:
“They attacked on Thursday last week, they attacked 2 days ago this week. Last week's attack was done during the hours when the court yard was closed, when they were going to get inside.
Mehmet was doing a sit-in before he went in, and his actions regarding rights violations had been continuing for a long time. It was routine for them to drag them in, they did this every week.
There is a guard squeezing his arm against the door and turns it over, as if it is not enough that he drags him between them.
He openly tried to break his arm. His arm was drawn across, he could not move his fingers. Last Wednesday, while he was taking him to his cell again, after he got inside, the same guard came in and strangled Mehmet, pulled his hair and throwing him to the ground ”.
Zehra Dersulu stated that the guards attacked her brother and other detainees in areas that the cameras would not see, and gave the following statements:
"They are trying to kill someone who is in their custody there. The administration is also aware of these events and turns a blind eye, no action is initiated. Mehmet filed a criminal complaint about this, but I don't think there will be any results from this announcement. There are no cameras in the cell and that guardian is carrying out his attack there, knowing this.
These attacks have been carried out before. But these attacks have become so frequent in the last 1 month. Their hatred and rage for Mehmet does not end. As our family, we have no more tolerance for these events. What are they trying to do?
They threw away my brother's 13-year effort overnight with the decree law without any justification. It was not enough either, they systematically tortured all the Yüksel Resisters outside, and one of the most tortured was Mehmet. They sent him to prison, which was not enough. They continued their systematic torture there as well. Our patience as a family ran out."
Zehra Dersulu stated that when the family called the prison administration due to the attacks, she was told “Talk to your brother, stop him from doing sit down. The prison has rules, he has to obey them” and continued as follows:
"Yes, there are certain rules, but the Ministry of Justice also has certain rules. Some books and magazines aren't handed out, although they're not prohibited, letters are given late.
Why then do they seize these rights?
If they do not commit these rights violations, Mehmet and the others will not resist either. Nobody wants to be dragged arbitrarily. If you usurp those people's rights, of course those people will make their voices heard.
Will this torture inflicted on Mehmet Dersulu never end? Why is this grudge and hatred? Do they want to kill him? We are really angry now. This has to come to an end, and the prison administration has to say a stop to this situation.
'CRIMINAL COMPLAINTS WERE NOT INVESTIGATED'
Fatih Gökçe, the lawyer of the resister Mehmet Dersulu, also made a statement to the public about the attacks of the guards. Pointing out that the attacks were carried out by one or two guards in particular, lawyer Gökçe said: “He was strangled, beaten, kicked. Especially, as if one or two people turned this issue into a personal situation for our client. The client had previously filed a criminal complaint on this issue, and we did too. There has been no development until now, that officer still continues to work there and these events are constantly being repeated. A similar incident took place recently”, he said.
Emphasizing that these attacks against his clients in Bolu F-Type Prison have taken place before, Gökçe said:
"Similar things have happened before with our clients in Bolu. We also made criminal complaints about this, but unfortunately, these criminal complaints were not investigated and no lawsuits were filed. However, lawsuits were constantly filed against our clients with the allegations that 'they had resisted insulted and threatened the officers'.
We think that our client Mehmet Dersulu has recently been personally hostile, especially by the enforcement officers there. Because they make speeches to our other clients who stay there like 'Correct Mehmet, let Mehmet fix himself, it will not end well'. Our client was constantly attacked and beaten there, and this event happened lastly. He has made a criminal complaint, and we will also file a criminal complaint.
This is not the first time, it has happened more than once. It was continuing systematically, but according to the information I learned, an officer has now advanced his attacks on my client. While standing still, he strangled his throat and kicked him. He does this for no apparent reason. It's always the same person who has done these.
Lawyer Fatih Gökçe stated that they could not get a response to the criminal complaints they made regarding the attacks against their clients and that the guards in question remained in their duties and for this reason they personalized the events.
An incident takes place there, then we file a criminal complaint, and the officers who were later named in that criminal complaint still remain on duty. Therefore, they turn this situation into a personal issue among themselves. Then, in areas where the cameras are not captured and nobody can see, they carry out such actions as strangling, kicking, squeezing the arms against the door, etc.
All complaints to the prosecutor's office are rejected on the grounds that there's no evidence, no information, no witness to support his claim, but the client is being held alone there anyway. Who can prove this other than the client. The prison guards make statements always watching out for one another”, he said.
Translated Clara Fidan from:
https://www.toplumsal.com.tr/.../ozel-bolu-hapishanesinde...