İSTANBUL - CISST Coordinator Hilal Başak Demirbaş who stated that the treatments have come to halt during the epidemic, said that home treatment opportunities should be provided as soon as possible for the seriously ill and risk group prisoners.

 

With the Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreaks emerge in Turkey, the visits and hospital visits were limited in prisons.These measures paved the way for new violations of rights in prisons. According to the data of the Ministry of Justice, 166 prisoners from different prisons were diagnosed with Covid -19 so far. The measures taken in prisons are insufficient for the institutions carry out work on prisons.

 

Civil Society Association (CİSST) Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinator Hilal Başak Demirbaş stated that there are still many deficiencies in prisons in line with the information conveyed to them. Demirbaş said the public was not adequately informed about the measures taken in prisons.

 

Stating that it is necessary to draw attention to the situation of seriously ill and high risk prisoners in the outbreak, Demirbaş said, “The treatment of prisoners in this group has come to a complete halt. This situation is life threatening for prisoners. Home treatment opportunities should be provided as soon as possible for the seriously ill and risk group prisoners.  Alternative ways other than imprisonment whould be created at least until the outbreak is under control, like postponing the imprisonment. These steps must be taken as soon as possible.