Gazel Bulut is currently imprisoned in ‘Kandıra No. 1 F-Type Prison’. She has not been allowed to see her four-year-old daughter for the past six months. She wrote an open letter calling for public awareness about the violations of prisoners’ rights in prisons in Turkey, particularly those of imprisoned mothers.
She was arrested whilst working as a correspondent for the Özgür Gelecek newspaper in Dersim. Bulut was sentenced to ten years and ten months in prison for the charge of “making propaganda for a terrorist organisation”.
She clarified how access rights had been restricted due allegedly to “coronavirus measures” in place.
Accordingly, open visits and public space activities in prison had been prohibited.
“We have been deprived of meeting our children due to the restrictions that have been imposed, every month, since March this year by the Ministry of Justice”, she noted.
She added: ”I haven’t seen my daughter for six months. You do not know how long six months is for us. I want to call on the public to please be aware of the violations of our rights in prisons, especially the situation of imprisoned mothers. I urgently appeal for children’s visits to be allowed and for mothers to be able to meet their children”.
