The report, titled “Human Rights Violations in Marmara Region Prisons,” covers the period from July to December 2025 and was announced at a press conference held at the association’s offices in Istanbul’s Beyoğlu district.

 

Speaking at the event, OHD member Şeyma Önal said the commission documented rights violations during monthly visits to 17 prisons. She listed ongoing problems including lack of adequate heating during winter months, solitary confinement, restrictions on prisoners’ participation in activities, continued strip searches, limited access to books, bans on Kurdish-language publications, and difficulties in hospital referrals.

 

She noted that despite expectations raised by the parliamentary commission established amid the Peace and Democratic Society Process initiated following Abdullah Öcalan’s call on February 27, there has been no meaningful improvement in prison conditions.

 

“Although this process has been ongoing for more than a year, we unfortunately see that rights violations in prisons have not decreased,” said Şeyma Önal and added: “The continuation of these violations negatively affects not only prisoners, but society as a whole and hopes for peace.”

 

She stated that national and international legal standards are not being upheld in prisons, adding that no legislative changes have been made regarding ill prisoners and that political prisoners are excluded from existing regulations.

 

“Obstacles preventing ill prisoners from accessing medical treatment must be removed immediately, and severely ill prisoners should be released without delay by accepting their requests for sentence postponement,” Şeyma Önal said.

 

Şeyma Önal further emphasized that the release of prisoners who are eligible for parole is being blocked by what she described as arbitrary and subjective decisions of Prison Administrative and Observation Boards. According to the report, the conditional release of 74 prisoners in Marmara Region prisons has been prevented.

 

Referring again to Abdullah Öcalan’s February 27 statement, Şeyma Önal said the call stressed the recognition of “democratic politics and a legal framework,” yet Abdullah Öcalan continues to be held under isolation conditions on İmralı Island. “For this call to find a response, the isolation regime on İmralı must be lifted and conditions must be created for Mr. Öcalan to contribute to social peace,” she said.

 

Şeyma Önal criticized the 10th Judicial Reform Package currently on the public agenda, stating that it is insufficient and excludes political prisoners from its scope. She concluded: “Discriminatory and arbitrary practices in prisons must end immediately. The state must fulfill its constitutional and legal obligations and put an end to all rights violations against prisoners, particularly isolation.”