News Center- Mücella Yapıcı, board member of the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB), has been behind bars in the Gezi Park Trial. She cannot receive treatment because she refuses treatment as handcuffs.

Members of the Women’s Commission of the TMMOB Istanbul Branch held a press conference in front of the building of the branch. Many women’s organizations such as the Free Women’s Movement (Kurdish: Tevgera Jinên Azad-TJA), the Women's Time Association (Turkish: Kadın Zamanı Derneği) and Kırkyama Women’s Organization attended the press conference to be in solidarity with Mücella Yapıcı. Holding a banner reading, “Rights violation must end”, the women called on Turkish Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç and Health Minister Fahrettin Koca to end rights violations faced by prisoners.

Selin Top, member of the Women’s Commission of the TMMOB, said that the reverse handcuffs are a violation. “The rights of prisoners are violated in this way. Apart from the prevention of the right to treatment, prisoners are also subjected to many rights violations such as the ban on visitation of political prisoners, solitary confinement and strip search.”

‘End arbitrary practices’

Expressing their solidarity with Mücella Yapıcı, Selin Top said, “We stand by the struggle for rights waged by Mücella. We demand the end of arbitrary practices against prisoners so that they can access their right to treatment.”