The resistance opposing prison isolation continues into its 5th year!

international | rights, freedoms and repression | press release

Tuesday October 19, 2004 02:33

by Tayad Committee

info at tayad dot de

117 lives given up to oppose isolation!

The calendar was set at October 20, 2000. The political prisoners decided to resist the state of Turkey's project to set up isolation prisons. In the face of the state's uncompromising attitude, the prisoners started the Death Fast (a form of hunger strike). Because isolation and torture mean death. The prisoners preferred death while resisting to surrender.

Death Fast

The state couldn’t break the resistance

The grueling march, that began on that October 20, is continuing into its 5th year. After only 59 days of the Death Fast, the prison massacre of December 19 took place, in which 28 prisoners were brutally murdered; six female prisoners were burned alive. By shifting the prisoners into the torture cells of the F-Type isolation prisons, a silent prison massacre now began. The resistance also expanded beyond the prison walls and was begun outside in the same way. On November 5, 2001 the state murdered four people in Istanbul/Armutlu, in a further attempt to break the resistance. Since the beginning of the resistance, solitary confinement and torture, countless arrests, fascist attacks, suicides in the cells, force-feeding of hunger strikers and so forth have been experienced. In this time approximately 600 people have sustained permanent damage to their health. So far, 117 people have lost their lives!

Until isolation is abolished

The reason for the continuation of the resistance lies in the fact that the attack on it with the aim of imposing isolation still persists today. Isolation is an inhuman practice. It aims to pull humans out of their normal surroundings and to, in effect, bury them alive. At the same time isolation is a weapon, which is used in particular against revolutionary movements. Isolation is a policy of intimidation used against the prisoners and against the people. Isolation is used against people to make them surrender and to give up their beliefs, ideals and culture of solidarity. This attack, which is permanently practised by the state of Turkey in a particularly intense form, aims to prevent us from organising against poverty, injustice and tyranny.

In the name of all prisoners, who are in isolation

With discussions around matters such as prison uniforms and hard labour, the state of Turkey is expanding its attacks. The revolutionary prisoners, who established barricades with their beliefs and their bodies against the attacks, continue their Death Fast resistance with the same determination as on the first day.
It must be the responsibility of all human beings to support and to ensure this just resistance, which is carried out in the name of all prisoners who are held in isolation and solitary confinement.

THE REVOLUTIONARY PRISONERS ARE OUR HONOUR!
LONG LIVE OUR DEATH FAST RESISTANCE!

October 19, 2004
Tayad Committee

Tayad Committee
Tel. : 0049.40.38011735
Fax : 0049.40.38011856
Mobile: 0049.175.9739960
Postbank/ Hamburg
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E-Mail: info@tayad.de
Internet: www.tayad-committee.com

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Comments (1 of 1)

Turkish Death Fast Martyrs.

by Barry

Fri Oct 29, 2004 04:16

It is an absolute shame and disgrace what these political prisoners and their families have endured over the last number of years. I was present at a meeting with representatives of these socialist prisoners when they visited Belfast a number of years ago. After watching a video of what is being done to these brave people, many of the resisting prisoners being little more than young girls, I can honestly say I was moved to tears.

That they are still suffering such horrific losses today while the world remains silent makes me want to scream. Their resilience, commitment and dignity in death and suffering stands in stark contrast to the absolute inhumanity of the regime which murders them. When 18 and 19 year old girls face bulldozers and machine-gun wielding thugs with only their bodies and their beliefs it puts some of the petty little political squabbles on this site into perspective.

The tactic of hungerstrike is synonymous with political protest in this country. I would therefore plead with users of this site not to turn their face away from this heartbreaking series of events and aquaint themselves with what is going on within the Turkish prison regime. Many of these people have been imprisoned simply for possessing a copy of a banned newspaper. The facist regime which murdered them is on the verge of being accepted into the EU. I would urge people to vist these peoples website, see whats happening for yourself. The world truly is a dark and evil place.

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The resistance opposing prison isolation continues into its 5th year!

Comments (1 of 1)