HDP Deputy says Turkey world champion in sick inmates’ deaths

"Turkey has become the world champion in deaths of sick convicts and detainees,” said Omer Faruk Gergerlioglu, a deputy from the HDP (Peoples’ Democratic Party) who held a press conference in Turkey’s national assembly on the occasion of the Human Rights Day. Gergerlioglu said 73 people died in prison throughout last year.

"Turkey is the world champion in deaths of sick convicts and detainees. In the last year, there have been 39 deaths in prisons and 34 suicides, which are suspicious deaths. According to our own calculations, this amount to a total of 73 deaths. This number makes us the first in the world in terms of sick prisoner deaths," Gergerlioglu said.

According to the HDP deputy, two institutions in Turkey headed others inhuman rights violations.

“One of them is the Ministry of Justice. The second is the Parliamentary Human Rights Investigation Commission. It is called the Human Rights Investigation Commission, but it is one of the institutions where human rights violations are made intensively because of the lack of investigation, examination and questioning of the human rights violations in Turkey,” he said.

Gergerlioglu earlier said that prisoners in Turkey lose their lives due to the lack of adequate treatment opportunities, both physically and psychologically, “which causes a lot of drama,” Gergerlioglu said in a video posted on Twitter.

“The data we have announced are based on information from relatives of the inmates, lawyers or through our own means. Prison administrations or the ministry of justice do not give any information. Prisons have become houses of death,” Gergerlioglu said.