Turkey to free one-third of its prisoners to curb coronavirus
TURKEY - Turkish MPs have agreed to free nearly one-third of the country’s prisoners to reduce the threat from coronavirus in jails, but the move was criticised for excluding government opponents imprisoned on terrorism charges. The bill, introduced by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AK Party), will see 45,000 temporarily released to limit the spread of coronavirus. A similar number will be freed permanently under plans proposed last year to cut chronic overcrowding.
Those convicted of or awaiting trial for “terrorism” offences - including many government opponents jailed on what have been slammed as trumped-up charges - are exempt from the amnesty. The bill was passed by the parliamentary majority enjoyed by the AK Party and its nationalist allies by 279 votes to 51, said Sureyya Sadi Bilgic, the deputy parliamentary speaker, on Tuesday.
Since a failed military coup in 2016, tens of thousands of politicians, journalists, rights campaigners, civil servants, judicial officials and military personnel have been jailed in a crackdown. Justice Minister Abdulhamid Gul said on Monday that 17 prisoners from open prisons had contracted coronavirus, including three who died. However, overcrowding has led to fears the virus could exacerbate an outbreak in the country’s 355 prisons.
Turkey’s Human Rights Association last week called for those prisoners with critical illnesses, above 60 and pregnant women or those jailed with their children to be released. One of the most prominent prisoners excluded from the amnesty is Selahattin Demirtas, the former co-chair of Turkey’s second-largest opposition party. Accused of leading a “terrorist” organisation, he has been held in prison since November 2016. The 46-year-old was hospitalised in December following chest pains. His lawyer Mahsuni Karaman said Demirtas is at high risk from coronavirus due to high blood pressure and because he has undergone surgery for respiratory problems. (Al Jazeera)