A Kurdish prisoner Serkan Tumay (27) has died in controversial circumstances in Kırıkkale F-Type prison in Turkey. His family stated he was tortured after seeing his dead body and there is speculation that he lost his life after being tortured by the prison guards.
The prison administration informed the family that Tumay died as a result of a judicial incident and asked the family to collect his body on 18 October. However, the family thinks he was tortured to death by the guards in the prison. His family stated that he was being severely mistreated by the prison staff about a month ago. Eyewitnesses claim that he was beaten and his head was slammed against the wall.
The family also stated that Tumay had complained against his mistreatment several times in prison. He had also requested a prison transfer because of this. Tumay’s family appealed to the Kırıkkale Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and filed a criminal complaint about the incident.
An investigation has been launched and the prosecutor’s office decided that footage from surveillance cameras in the prison should be examined. Serkan Tumay’s mother stated that he had desperately asked for help when she last spoke to him: “My son told me: ‘Mum, the wardens are assaulting me. They are beating me. They are going to kill me. I don’t know how many times they attacked me with sticks’. My son had his arm broken, his head was swollen … How could he die on his own like that in prison? I could not see my son in prison. I am so sorry, I can do nothing else for him now”.
Tumay’s body was buried in Kırtık Cemetery in Manisa Central Şehzadeler district.
