Mustafa Molla was arrested in Istanbul and sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for ”membership of a terrorist organisation” and ”making propaganda for a terrorist organisation”. He has already served three years.
He was transferred from Silivri No 6 Prison to Bolu F-Type Closed Prison. His mother Hanife Molla visited her son in prison on 7 July and she saw that his body was covered in bruises. Hanife told MA that he had been beaten up by eight prison guards on 28 June.
Hanife stated that on 29 June her son asked to go to the hospital to get a report of assault, but he was beaten up again by the guards.
She said: ”My son insisted, and they transferred him to the prison infirmary. The doctor in the infirmary wouldn’t treat my son. He asked the doctor to issue a report about the assault, but the doctor said that he couldn’t do that. Then he said he had a sore throat and asked for medicine for that. The doctor wouldn’t give him that either, and sent him back to his dormitory in that state.”
Hanife said that a communication ban was imposed on Mustafa after the beating: ”I went to visit my son on 7 July because he did not call me. He told me what had happened. He just took off his shirt and there were bruises all over his body.”
Hanife went on: “I wanted to meet with the prison prosecutor. The prison guards told me that there was no prosecutor there and asked, ‘What do you want one for, why are you asking?’ I said, ‘I’m going to press charges against you. You beat my son up,’ and they replied saying, ‘We are judge and prosecutor here,’ I said, ‘I will exercise my legal rights’ … I found a prosector in town and pressed charges against the guards and the doctor.”
Stating that the prison would not even issue an assault report to try and cover up their crimes, Hanife pointed out that it was not just her son, but all prison inmates were exposed to such violations of rights.
”They keep imposing communication bans on my son. If something happens to my son, we’ll never be able to find out. All prisoners are in the same position. They can’t even claim their rights. How should we seek our rights?” she asked.
Hanife said that many investigations have been initiated into her son so far. ”For example, every prisoner has the right to phone calls and to buy books. But Mustafa is often prevented. Mustafa writes a petition to be allowed a book, But, an investigation is initiated against him for this and he is issued a punishment. That’s how they prolonged his imprisonment,” she said.
“As a mother, all I want is justice. I call out to all free mothers of prisoners. Let’s unite and not abandon our children… They are fighting for honour, for our people.”
