It is emerged that prisoners, who fast in Bandırma 2nd T type prison, aren’t being given Sahur meal on occasion of Ramadan. After it was notified by prisoners and their relatives, the prisoners’ relatives call on Ministry of Justice to duty to solve this problem.

Hosting nearly 3000 prisoners and staff, Bandırma 2nd T Type prison has, one of them is an open prison, in total 3 correctional facilities.

Inmates in the prison indicated that they cannot perform their fast worship which is a certain command of Quran and have a peaceful Ramadan that is inholding laylat al Qadr better than 1000 months.

Even though the prisoners had petitioned many times, no any regulations have been conducted so far.

Ahmet Arslan, who is jailed due to his religious sentiments for years, wrote a letter to ILKHA to report the difficulties they experience. Arslan said in his letter that in Bursa H Type prison, where he stayed previously, the prison administration made a simple regulations for delivering the meals during Ramadan, though they petitioned to the Bandırma Prison administration but they haven’t taken a step and they were said as an answer that’ the meals are being cooked in open prison and we have nothing to do.’

“Sahur meal is being delivered at noon”

Indicating that sahur meals are being delivered at noon, Arslan said: “In these long summer days, the meals get cool and we have no any means to heat the meals.

Calling on the prison administration, Arslan said: “they have their warm meals with their families in peace. Just a simple regulation would be enough for us to be able to perform our fast worship in prison. In a Muslim country if we cannot perform our worships then where can we do it? I submit this demand to the public opinion to redress our grievances.”

 “They are being persecuted not to fast”

Gıyasettin Aslan, son of Ahmet Arslan, also call on the authorities: “I want to call out to Ministry of Justice and General Directorate of Prisons and Detention Houses. If they can wake up to have their warm Sahur meal, the people in the prisons should have their meals warm, too. How they can deem a second punishment proper for those living in prisons? While they have warm sahurs, how can’t they deem these people worthy of having warm meal? It come to me that they are being persecuted not to fast.”

“While they are living under these conditions how can we have warm meals at our homes?”

Aslan said: “while my father or son of someone else or husband of someone are living under these conditions how can we have warm meals at our homes? It doesn’t go down our stomach when we sip a warm soup.”

“It doesn’t behove their promises they voice in meetings”

Saying that hindering people from practising their religious duties is unacceptable, Aslan criticized the government saying that: “It doesn’t behove their promises they voice in meetings.”

On the other hand we were told by prison administration when we called them that the meals are being distributed as routinely; breakfast at 8 o’clock, lunch at 11.30 and dinner at 18.00. (ILKHA)