Conscientious Objector on Hunger Strike for 14 Days

Conscientious objector İnan Süver started a hunger strike 14 days ago to protest the 20-day isolation punishment given to him after his short escape from prison. In the evening of 3 May, he was transferred to the E Type Closed Prison in Manisa (western Turkey).

On 21 April, Süver escaped from the Manisa Saruhanlı Open Prison. One day later, he was arrested in Izmir and taken to the Buca Prison (Izmir).

Süver started a hunger strike after he was arrested in Izmir. On 3 May, he was now given a 20-day isolation punishment because he insisted on continuing the hunger strike.

20-day isolation punishment

Süver's lawyer Hülya Üçpınar said in a statement made to bianet on Wednesday (4 May) that her client Süver was transferred to Manisa.

She announced that she called the prison on the same day to obtain information on conscientious objector Süver. She learned that the prison executives imposed a 20-day isolation punishment on Süver because he refused to interrupt his hunger strike.

Üçpınar reported that the punishment had not been approved by the time that she called the prison but that she expected the approval at any time. Once Süver was taken into the isolation cell, a telephone ban would be applied as well, the lawyer stated.

Remziye Süver: Kurdish ID reason for oppression

Remziye Süver, the wife of the conscientious objector, criticized the procedure. She claimed that her husband İnan Süver had been incarcerated for months just because of his opinion.

"Why is my husband in prison for that long on the grounds of his opinion while murderers get out of jail after five to six months? He did not commit any crime besides of [voicing] his opinion. İnan escaped after twelve months of military service. After that, he was imprisoned for four months and then again for another three months. Now, he has been in prison for the past nine months", Remziye Süver said.

She continued, "There were a total of 120 conscientious objectors by the time İnan announced his conscientious objection. There are currently about 500 conscientious objectors. Nobody else is tyrannized this way though. The reason that they keep on at İnan this much is that [the south-eastern city of] "Van" is written in his ID. I cannot explain the situation in any other way".

Süver's father: "My son did not commit any crime...

İnan Süver's father Yasin Süver met his son at the Manisa E Type Closed Prison yesterday (4 May). He told bianet that İnan was in very bad condition.

He said that his son's face looked very pale and worn out. "We rolled out the red carpet for İnan when we sent him to the military. However, İnan was tortured in the military. He escaped. Subsequently, they kept İnan in prison for a total of 16 months. He has been in jail for the past nine months. Now they imposed an isolation punishment on him because he went on hunger strike. For 20 days he will not have the opportunity to see or talk to anybody..." (EKN/VK)