Wardens prosecuted for torture in Turkish prison

Wardens in a penitentiary of Turkey’s southern city Adana have pounded up and pulled on the floor an inmate before shutting him with his underpants in a cell they deliberately wetted, Mezopotamya News Agency reported. The incident was also captured by security cameras.

The brutal assault left Şehmuz Emen with hearing and sight impairment. The wardens have since been prosecuted and Emen transferred to another prison in the city. 

The first hearing of the case will be held on September 28.

Emen’s lawyer, Mehmet Nuri Toprak said that the reason of the beating was the detainee’s verbal inquiry to be taken to a hospital.

The guards after a quarrel laid him down on the floor, pounded him, took him to another room, wetted the floor and told him to “sit on the wet floor”, Emen said in his testimony.  

The guards can be seen in the recorded video pouring down water into the room. 

An expert report about the case confirmed the inmate’s testimony.

“This practice on my client is called torture” lawyer Toprak said and called for justice to prevail. 

Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ back in April refuted the torture allegations and said “I am underlining this: There is no more torture or ill-treatment in Turkish prisons. We deal with this issue with zero tolerance.”