Suphi Akbaş has been imprisoned in Giresun Prison, in the northern Black-Sea province of Giresun since 2016. Akbaş was working as a bus driver in southeastern Urfa (Riha) before he was jailed on charges of “terrorism” He lived with all his family members in Urfa before he was jailed.
“My son has five children. We all try to make ends meet with the retirement pension I have. But we do not have the econmic ability to afford the travel costs to visit him,” said Adil Akbaş, the 69-year-old father.
“I can only speak through the phone with my son, whom I have not been able to see for five years,” he said.
Adil Akbaş also shared more details about the torture his son was subjected to when he was first detained.
“He was exposed to heavy torture for 21 days. He was tortured so badly that all of his clothes were covered in blood,” he said.
The 65 year-old mother Gülendam Akbaş said that they have filed countless applications to the Turkish authorities for their son to be transferred to a prison closer to home.
“We cannot afford to go to Giresun. It costs 4,000 TL, a two-way trip. We don’t have such money. How many times we have applied for him to be transferred, I don’t know. But they have rejected all our applications,” she said.
Longing for her imprisoned son, mother Akbaş demands that at least her son is transferred to a prison closer to home so that she can visit and see him after five years.
“My son is all alone for five years. I have never worn the colour white for five years, because I am mourning for my son,” she said. “Let him be jailed in a prison close to us if you are not going to release him. We could have regularly visited him if he was in a nearby prison.” she said.
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