Inmates in a minimum security prison in central Turkey’s Çorum province said they weren’t allowed to attend university courses although they have the right to do so according to prison regulations, the Bianet news website reported.
Ministry of Justice regulations state that inmates in minimum security prisons can attend university courses on the condition that the university is in the same province or district as their prison.
Inmate Burak Bekil said he had won a spot at Çorum’s Hitit University; however, he was prevented from attending courses there by the prison administration. Two other inmates, who were not named, were also not allowed to attend the university.
Bekil went to court, and his case is currently pending a decision. He also asked the Human Rights Association (IHD) to support his case. Bekil argued that he was being discriminated against since inmates in other provinces were allowed to attend university.
He added that he had also tried to send a letter to the Human Rights and Equality Institution of Turkey (TIHEK); however, the letter had not been delivered.
According to the prison administration Bekil was not allowed to go to university because he was originally kept in a maximum security prison. He was only transferred to a minimum security facility due to COVID-19 regulations, in an effort to curb the virus in prisons.
