Mezopotamya News Agency (MA) released a video on Saturday showing a prisoner being subjected to violence and ill treatment by guards in a Turkish prison.
The incident at Kürkçüler E type prison in Turkey’s southern province of Adana on 22 February 2022 occured after the prisoner Şehmuz Emen, suffering shortness of breath according to his lawyer, asked the guards to be informed about the result of his application for medical examination in a hospital, MA said.
The video shows a group of prison guards rushing to Emen’s cell to violently pull him out and drag him on the floor to a part of the compound where they first empty a small room, pour water on the floor, and lock him up naked in the damp room.
The video shows 11 guards taking part in the incident, and some others watching.
Upon complaints by Emen, a lawsuit was filed against two guards on minor charges of ‘violating limits of use of force’ and of ‘simple injury’.
The indictment verifies that the guards slapped Emen in the face and kicked him more than once during the incident.
In a second lawsuit, five guards have been indicted over accusations of torture.
Minister: ‘No torture, ill treatment in Turkish prisons’
Turkish justice minister Bekir Bozdağ denied on 20 April that there was any practice of torture and ill treatment in prisons.
“There is no practice of torture and ill treatment in Turkish prisons. There is zero tolerance on torture and ill treatment. No allegation on such practices has been ignored by the judiciary,” Bozdağ said.
