ISTANBUL - Grup Yorum member Şura Başer stated that Rezzan Şengül and Vedat Doğan, who are on hunger strike, have dropped below 38 kilograms and said: “They have difficulty sitting and standing up. Their demands must be met.” 

 

Following the attack in front of the Çağlayan Courthouse on February 6, Grup Yorum members Rezzan Şengül and Vedat Doğan were detained and arrested on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization”. The two separate indictments prepared by the prosecutor's office for Şengül and Doğan did not include any charges related to the attack in Çağlayan, while Grup Yorum's work was cited as the reason for the charges. Şengül and Doğan were sent to Marmara (Silivri) Prison after their arrest, and were transferred to Kırşehir High Security Prison about a month later. 

 

After their transfer, Şengül and Doğan went on hunger strike in the high security prison, demanding the closure of Y, S, R type prisons and the transfer of themselves and their friends to prisons closer to their families. Şengül's hunger strike entered its 180th day and Doğan's 175th day. 

 

Şengül's first hearing will be held on September 26 at Çağlayan Courthouse 25th High Criminal Court, while Doğan's first hearing will be held on October 16 at Bakırköy 2nd High Criminal Court. 

 

Emphasizing that she has been on hunger strike for 27 days to support her friends, Başer underlined that high-security prisons, which they describe as “well-type” prisons, are places that condemn prisoners to death. “Unlike normal prisons, these prisons have walls 12 to 13 meters high. They are places where ventilation time is limited to 1 to 2 hours, where you are held alone with no one else. You cannot get air, there is no sun, when you do laundry there is no place to hang it, there are no people, your letters are blocked” she said and emphasized living conditions are difficult. 

 

'THEY WEIGH LESS THAN 38 KILOS'

 

Stating that his friends started the hunger strike with legitimate demands, Başer said that they want their demands to be met. Stating that the prisoners on hunger strike face intense pressure in prison and their health condition has reached a critical stage, “We have now reached the critical stage, which means that their health condition has completely deteriorated and permanent health problems have started. They have numbness in their feet, numbness in their knees and legs. They are experiencing very intense muscle pain. People on hunger strike consume water, sugar, lemons. Because they are constantly given rotten lemons and have to consume them, they have stomach disorders. They have heart palpitations, heart pains and problems with their eyesight. Cell life is exhausting, both of them alone, they cannot stay together. Even for 10 minutes they are in such a bad condition that they cannot stand. They cannot squeeze a lemon, brush their teeth or meet their personal needs. Vedat has hearing loss in his left ear and cannot move his facial expressions because his facial muscles have melted too much. In general, they find it very difficult to sit, get up and stand still. And today they are down to 38 kilograms, and they may even be a little bit lower now” Başer said. 

 

FIRST HEARING DATES 

 

Providing information about the dates of the hearings, Başer said, “Rezzan Şengül's hearing is scheduled for September 26 at 10.40 a.m. at the 25th Assize Court at Çağlayan Courthouse, and Vedat Doğan's hearing is scheduled for October 16 at 14.00 at Bakırköy 2nd Assize Court. We call on everyone, all intellectuals, members of parliament, artists, all our people. We call on everyone to embrace Rezan Şengül, Vedat Doğan and Grup Yorum. Our friends are about to die today and we want them to live and be kept alive.”