The Ankara Democratic Institutions Platform protested outside the Justice Ministry against the seventh postponement of the release of Nedime Yaklav, who had been held in prison for 34 years. The Administration and Observation Board at Sincan Women’s Closed Prison blocked Yaklav’s release on the grounds that she had not participated in social and sports activities. Speaking on behalf of the platform, Nesil Çifçi argued that the grounds were unlawful, saying no courses were organized in the prison and sports activities were held only once a month. Citing data from the Lawyers for Freedom Association, she said the release of 90 prisoners had been blocked over the previous three months. Çifçi called on the Justice Ministry to release prisoners who had earned the right to be released and end the arbitrary practices of Administration and Observation Boards. Mehmet Sıddık Akın, Co-Chair of the Health and Social Service Workers’ Union, said practices including examinations in handcuffs, oral cavity searches and strip searches obstructed access to healthcare, and called for the release of seriously ill prisoners and for reports by independent healthcare institutions to be taken as the basis for decisions.
26 October 2026
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