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It was reported on Sunday that Sinan Kaya, a 28-year-old political prisoner who was serving his sentence for ‘propaganda for a terrorist organisation’ was found dead in his prison cell in Turkey’s eastern province of Iğdır. It’s been claimed by the prison administration that he committed suicide.
This is the second death in one month in Iğdır S Type Prison that the prison administration claimed resulted from suicide.
On the 20th of February, it was announced that Sezer Alan, again a young man, a non-political prisoner also committed suicide and died in the same prison.
His family later made a press statement in the İzmir branch of the Human Rights Association (İHD) declaring that Alan was sent to five different prisons and to Iğdır S Type Prison at last in August 2021, and that he suffered psychological pressure and was subjected to physical violence in all six prisons.
Alan had spoken to his family on 19 February for the last time, one day before his death, which his family recorded and made public with their statement. In this recording Alan is saying that he is not able to exercise his legal rights, and he’ll commit suicide.
He says:
“The prison director, the prison administration, and the prison tutor will bear the responsibility of my death. They’ve been pushing me to commit suicide (…) I’ll kill myself today. The responsibility of my death will lie with these people.”
Now only one month after that death Sinan Kaya, a 28 year old political prisoner imprisoned in Iğdır S Type Prison 8 months ago has also died, resulting again allegedly from suicide, the prison administration claims. Kaya was staying in solitary confinement. The prison administration called his family at night and told them that their son had committed suicide. It was announced that Kaya had a lung transfusion before he was sent to prison.
Kaya’s family accepting condolences expressed that they did not believe that their son had committed suicide and requested that an investigation should be carried out.
The Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD) tweeted saying: “Although we have asked many times “what is happening in Iğdır F Type Prison?” the violations of rights have not stopped and deaths have began to occur. 28 year old ill prisoner Sinan Kaya has lost his life under questionable circumstances.
