Turkish Justice: "You don't know what you're going to jail for"

The Turkish judiciary faces rising worldwide criticism. Allegations of torture multiply. President Erdogan refuses it, however he has constructed many new prisons.

By Karin Senz, ARD Studio Istanbul

The Turkish judiciary is more and more criticized internationally. Firstly of this week, the European Courtroom of Human Rights in Strasbourg had written a written declaration of Ankara on the dismissal and arrest of judges and prosecutors.

Final week, the European Fee licensed Turkey a step backwards by way of elementary rights and the rule of regulation. Opponents don't count on a lot from the justice reform introduced by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Prisons in Turkey are full - stuffed with assets. Simply over three years in the past, greater than 100,000 folks had been arrested, most of them allegedly supporting terror. And the supporter of terrorism one rapidly, is aware of the Turkey knowledgeable of Amnesty Worldwide in Istanbul, Andrew Gardner:

"The largest drawback in Turkey is that you simply don't know what you're going to jail or you have got an commercial in your neck, it may be something: you're doing one thing, which could be a speak, loads someplace, in a gathering, even when solely civil society meets, all {that a} journalist or public activist, all {that a} citizen shares in social networks ".

Pre-trial detention can take years

However you'll be able to't get out as quick as you enter. Pre-trial detention can take a number of years. The Turkish cultural patron Osman Kavala has been sitting for over a yr and a half - for a very long time with out even figuring out precisely what he's accused of - and in isolation, he complains to his lawyer Köksal Bayraktar. Even the correspondent of the German-Turkish newspaper Deniz Yücel remained in custody and in isolation for a very long time. He additionally accuses the state of Turkish torture.

These are the essential circumstances. Yildiz Doganay's brother will not be one in all them. He's imprisoned in Elazig, in japanese Turkey, to help the banned Kurdish PKK. Yildiz Doganay is afraid for him. He was in custody for nearly two years - in an remoted cell. Then the jail guards beat him:

Later, he turned to the prosecutor and stated, "Take management of the digicam footage." It was in all probability carried out and it was apparent - however in the long run nothing got here out. "

The lawyer Yusuf Erdogan states that complaints hardly ever deliver something. He works for a human rights group within the Kurdish stronghold Diyarbakir. Don't consider in mistreatment orders from the excessive:

"The guards suppose, it doesn't matter what the detainee says, I'm not punished anyway, so I'm doing it for the state to guard him - and these inmates are all terrorists anyway." That is their mind-set, however I stress: No matter why an individual is in detention, you have to deal with her in an honest manner. "

Erdogan is accountable?

The hostile environment within the nation encourages many to take a type of self-clarification, critics say. Subsequently, President Erdogan is sort of chargeable for them. Many times threatens to suppress terrorists. However he defends himself:

"The allegations of systematic torture or ill-treatment have lengthy been a factor of the previous - and we're decided to maintain it that manner - so we proceed to take steps to make sure that the detention measures are applicable."

Uncommon sounds from Erdogan's mouth. Nonetheless, he's presently constructing and planning a number of new prisons. The objective: house for a complete of half one million folks behind bars.