ISTANBUL Let’s meet at the International Symposium on Prisons!

Freedom for all Revolutionary, Democratic, Patriotic Prisoners
The first time when the bourgeoisie attacked by imprisoning people was in 1596 in Amsterdam. This kind of attack or praxis was named the “Flemish model”. The imperialists and their collaborators attack, imprison, and give heavy punishments like death penalty to the revolutionaries and patriots in order to protect their heaven, which is created over the exploitation of labor and nature.  Including US imperialism the western imperialists want to hinder the advancement of socialism and for this reason the ruling classes have increased their aggression on class struggle including national and social liberation struggles. Further they use practices on revolutionary and patriotic prisoners in countries that they have occupied like the US in Iraq in the Abu Gahrip prison or Guantanamo, but this is just an example.  One of the first countries that implemented the isolation and Tretman policies that were used against the prisoners in Korea in 1950 was the US.  Today it is used in an extended way all over the world.  In 1970 it was used in Germany against RAF militants, in England in the 1980’s against IRA militants. In Turkey many year the plans of the state to bring the isolation system into the country failed due to the resistances of the political revolutionary prisoners, but in the year 2000 the state made a massacre on December 19^th and with this massacre the F-type prison system was implemented.  The essence of this policy is to isolate, weaken, and enforce obedience, de-personalize and take the identity of the prisoners and finally make them capitulate. We have witnessed many long and honorable resistances in our country. Especially after the military coup in September 12^th 1980 in the dungeons of Diyarbakir and other prisons many revolutionary opponents stood against death, torture etc. that period which can be considered the most darkest page of the prison history in our country made the prisoners lay a significant milestone for the traditions of rebellion by resistances, hunger strikes, death fasting. 1989 Eskişehir-Aydın, 1995 Buca massacre, 1996 Diyarbakir massacre, January 4^th 1996 Umraniye massacre, 1996 unlimited hunger strike and death fast resistance, 26^th September 1999 Ulucanlar massacre, and December 19^th 2000 massacre. With these massacres the stated aimed to eliminate the revolutionary movement. To distribute papers, or to participate on May 1^st at the demonstrations or to go to rallies, which are a natural legitimate, right is considered a crime and results into punishments like “hundreds” of years in prison. The practice of heavy isolation treatment against prisoners with life sentences continues. The prisoners face all kind of suppression, cameras are installed in their cells, and they get discipline punishment. Many prisoners are not allowed to receive their urgent medical treatments and this actually sentences them to death. With such practices they continue the death penalty, which has officially been abolished. There are 620 ill prisoners and 202 of them are very ill. According to the information of the ministry of justice between the years 2000-2013 2.304 people have died. Besides the general impact of the F-type isolation, for woman, LGBTI’s and children the reality of isolation brings other forms of attacks as well. Woman, children LGBTI’s face sexual harassment, rape and other forms of oppression. As we said in the beginning, these attacks towards prisoners are not just a fact of our country; all over the world there are similar practices and policies used against opponents, revolutionaries, communists and progressive prisoners. For this reason international solidarity, a common struggle on the prisoners issue is from great importance. It is clear that there is a urgent need to organize our common struggle and share our experiences. For this purpose, we invite you to the symposium which will take place on April 26-27^th in Istanbul.


Program of the Symposium
Day 1: 10:00 am
Cinevision
Opening
1^st session: reports on the situation of the countries prisons/ the impacts of isolation over the prisoners: 11:00 am

• Moderator: Akın Birdal (Former chairperson of the Human Rights Association and MP)
• (DHF-ESP-Partizan) representatives joint presentation
• International participants
• Open microphone

Lunch 13:00pm-14:00pm
 2^nd session: reports on the situation of the countries prisons/ the impacts of isolation over the prisoners: 14:00pm

• Moderator: Ümit EFE (İHD Human Rights Association/Istanbul Chairperson)
• International Participants
• Hasan Gülbahar (former prisoner)
• Open microphone

Day 2 10:00 am

1. Session: Woman, LGBT’s, children and prisons   time: 10:00am-12:00

• Moderator: Ayşe Berktay (writer, translator, former prisoner
• Elif Avcı (Lambda representative)
• Çiçek Otlu
• Attorney Hasan Erdoğan (İHD Human Rights Association speaker for the closing of children prisons)
• Open microphone

1. Session International Execution Systems and Law. Time: 12:15-14:30

Moderator: Lawyer Begüm Yıldız (Istanbul Bars Prison Commission)
Lawyers from Iran, Australia, Netherlands, Germany, Brazil and Turkey
Open Microphone

1. 3.      Session: The Formation of an Regional and International Joint Workshop (15:30-17:30)

Presentations of countries and proposals of organizations and presentations

Place: PETROL-İŞ (Altunizade Mh., Kuşbakışı Cd No:23, 34662 İstanbul) Date: 26-27^th April

Organizing institutions:
ESP (Socialist Party of the Oppressed), DHF (Federation for Democratic Rights), Partizan, SKM (Socialist Woman’s Council), the Voice of the Martyrs and Prisoners Platform, SGDF (Federation of Socialist Youth Association), YDK (New Democrat Woman), DDSB (Unity of the Revolutionary Democratic Trade Union), PŞTA (Families of the Partizan Martyrs and Prisoners), DGH (Democratic Youth Movement), YDAB (New Democracy Families Unity), DKH (Democratic Woman Movement), ATIK (Confederation of Workers from Turkey in Europe), UPOTUDAK, ATIF, ATIGF, HTIF, ITIF, YDG (New Democratic Youth), New Woman,   ADHK (Federation of Democratic Rights Europe), ADHF-Germany, IDHF, FDHF, London-YÇKM, ADHF Austria, ADKH (Democratic Woman’s Movement Europe), ADHG (Democratic Youth Movement Europe), Alınteri, Revolutionary Proletariat (A world to Live), Aveg-Kon (Federation of the Oppressed Migrants Europe),  AÖTDK (Solidarity Committee of Free Prisoners in Europe), AGIF (Migrant Workers Federation Germany), ACTIT (Workers Cultural Association of Workers from Turkey in Paris), IGIF (Federation of Workers from Turkey in Switzerland), GIK-DER (Migrant Workers Cultural Association London), VEK-SAV ( Vardiya International Culture and Art Foundation Holland), Migrant Workers Initiative in Austria, EGA-BIR (Unity of Migrant Families Edinburgh), BGK (Migrants Collective Belgium), SKB (Socialist Woman’s Unity), YS (Young Struggle)

Supporters:

FEKAR (Federation of Kurdish Culture Associations), BIR-KAR Switzerland, Proletarian Revolutionary Posture Switzerland), Political Newspaper Switzerland, ADDBF (Federation of the Democratic Dersim Unities in Europe), TUAD (Association of Imprisoned Families), DISK Limiter-Is trade Union, Civil Society in a Punishment Executive System Association, General Center of the Pir Sultan Abdal Cultural Association, Munzur Environmental Association, Peoples Democratic Party, Human Rights and Justice Commission, IHD (Human Rights Association Istanbul Office
AHM-ATİK News Centre

• Solidarity with the political prisoners in INDIA!