Mehmet Güleş, one of hundreds of journalists behind bars in Turkey, complained in a letter about the restriction of rights in prison, saying that even scenic photos sent to inmates are not allowed for security concerns, the Evrensel daily reported.
The jailed reporter, who is being held at Elazığ High Security Prison Number 1, listed in his letter some of the human rights violations committed in Turkey’s prisons, saying that inmates are allowed access to a courtyard only seven hours a day while spending the other 17 hours in their cells. He said a ban on receiving books, magazines and letters in Kurdish is still in effect and that prisoners are taken to hospitals belatedly and are examined in handcuffs. The inmates are subject to strip searches at the entrance of the prison, he said, adding that nearly 50 prisoners, including those suffering from various health problems, are held in one-person cells without justification.
Güleş was a reporter for the shuttered Dicle news agency (DİHA) and was jailed over one of his news stories.
Turkey is the largest jailer of journalists in the world.