DİYARBAKIR - Xezal Polat, mother of prisoner Kemal Polat (is in Diyarbakır D Type and went on a hunger strike), said, "My son and other prisoners are being sentenced to solitary confinement for telling about their problems in prison on the phone or on visitings".

 

The hunger strike which was initiated on November 27 by prisoners in Turkey's and region's prisons to abolish the continued isolation of PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan and end the right violations in prisons continues. The indefinite-alternating  hunger strike action is on its 46th day with the tenth group. Kemal Polat was in the 4th group of hunger strike in Diyarbakır Type D Closed Prison. While Kemal Polat was on hunger strike for 120 days in 2018, his mother Xezal Polat called for everyone to be the voice of the prisoners.

 

'He was arrested without a trial'

 

Xezal said that four years ago, her house in Lice district of Diyarbakır was raided and she, her daughter and son and a relative were detained. Xezal said, “My daughter and her one-year-old baby were at our home. They took all of us away without letting her take her baby. We were detained for nearly 12 days. They also took a relative who had nothing to do with us, and  was detained for 13 days. Their aim was to make up a crime on my son. After we were released from custody, they directly arrested my son and took him to prison without taking him to the prosecutor's office."

 

'He received twice aggravated life sentence'

 

Noting that her son was tortured too much while he was in custody, Xezal said, "He was under psychological oppression. They told him that PKK killed us (his family). Xezal, stating that her son was tortured so much to accept the accusations , said, ''Although my son said that he had no connection with the accusations, they continiued to torture him. Finally, they arrested him. His trial was constantly postponed. Most of the time, he was not even allowed to defend at the hearings. After four years, his case was concluded and he was given twice aggravated life imprisonment.''

 

'They don't give the cleaning materials to prisoners.'

 

Noting that her son had been on a hunger strike for 120 days before, Xezal stated that her son also went on strike during this hunger strike. Noting that the prisoners are on a hunger strike for their rights and against the isolation of Imrali, Xezal said, ''Needs for a hunger strike are not given. My son has health problems; he has kidney illness and breathing illness. Despite knowing this, he was punished with solitary confinement. Cleaning materials and medicines are not given. He also said that the prisoners who talked to their family and explained the situation were  punished with solitary confinement. ''

 

Finally, Xezal said, ''Prisoners are being persecuted. Their rights are not recognized. All prisoners are my children. I support all of them. Everyone should hear their voices and support them.''