This page presents an English-language overview of a booklet published only in Turkish. See the publisher’s page for the original edition.
Title: My Rights: An Application Guide for Prisoners
Author: Mustafa Eren
Publication date: 2016
Pages: 24
If you believe that the practices of prison administration or staff violate the law or human rights, or that your rights have been violated — for example, if a petition you filed for a medical visit is not acted on, or is acted on late; if the length of your visits is restricted; if you cannot find what you need at the prison canteen; if you receive no response to petitions you have submitted —
If you have been subjected to verbal, psychological, physical or sexual violence by prison staff, or believe that the treatment or behavior you experienced amounted to ill-treatment or torture — for example, if you were insulted, or humiliated or assaulted because of your identity, political views, religion or sect, gender or sexual orientation —
If you made requests to the prison administration that you believed would improve your living conditions, and those requests were not met — for example, if the prison you are held in is far from your family and they cannot visit you, and you requested a transfer to a prison in or near your family’s city —
you can apply to the bodies and institutions tasked by the state with monitoring, examining and investigating prisons, and with reporting on rights violations.
This booklet explains how to apply to these bodies and institutions.
Applying to these bodies and institutions does not mean that you have filed a lawsuit against the prison administration, staff, or others responsible. It simply means that you have requested that an investigation be carried out into the ill-treatment you experienced, that it be brought to an end, and that it be reported. After applying to these bodies and institutions, you may, if you wish, also file a criminal complaint with the public prosecutor’s office so that a case can be opened.
The booklet is free of charge and can be accessed online via the Civil Society in the Penal System Association (CİSST) website, or obtained from the association’s office.
