WAN – Emin Gezici, the father of Birindar Gezici who was arrested in Agirî after being subjected to torture with pliers, said that his son suffered 50 per cent vision loss and his treatment was prevented.
Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party Youth Assembly member Birindar Gezici was detained by soldiers in a village in Bazîd (Doğubayazıt) district of Agirî (Ağrı) on 9 March 2024. Gezici was tortured with iron bars and pliers at the police station. He was later arrested on charges of "terrorist organization membership".
The indictment prepared against Gezici did not include torture in detention. Ağrı 2nd High Criminal Court sentenced Gezici to 6 years and 3 months in prison. It was stated that Gezici, who is imprisoned in Erzurum H-Type Closed Prison, had health problems and was not treated. It was noted that Gezici's leg had a disability due to the torture he was subjected to. His family reported that Gezici had severe tremors in his hands and 50 per cent vision loss in his eyes.
Father Emin Gezici said that his son was not referred to a hospital despite his petition: “He has been arrested for more than 2 years. The state says ‘I can both torture and arrest him’. They beat and bruised my son’s beautiful eyes and caused permanent damage to his hands and legs. In the infirmary in Erzurum, he said, ‘My eyes are at the point of going blind. I need to be referred to a hospital’, but he was not referred. In the last visit we had, I saw that my son's eyes had shrunk and there was white in his eyes. Treatment should not be prevented. Treatment is a right.”
Stating that his son suffered permanent damage to his body due to torture in detention, Gezici said: "His hands are shaking, there is a permanent damage on his leg. His eyes are 50 per cent blind. Due to financial difficulties, we cannot travel to Erzurum very often. We want Birindar to be transferred closer. Everyone has the right to see their child. They do not give us this opportunity."
Pointing to Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan's "Call for Peace and Democratic Society" and the developments that followed, Baba Gezici said, "It is time to crown this struggle with peace. We believe in the Kurdish freedom movement. This belief will bring an honourable and lasting peace. The construction of an equal and just life starts with the release of prisoners who have been imprisoned unjustly and unlawfully for years. Peace is for everyone. We believe in this process and the power that manages the process."