Fire breaks out in Istanbul prison

Duvar English

A fire broke out in Metris Prison located in Istanbul’s Esenler district on Aug. 27.

Prisoners allegedly rioted and set the beds on fire due to poor prison conditions, according to a reporting by Halk TV.

Muhammed Haluk Çavuşoğlu, Chair of the Just Life Association, said that inmates in the prison were staying 50 people in the wards designed for 10 people and even the masjid was turned into a ward.

He said the inmates’ families were waiting for an answer from the Justice Ministry for the conditions in the Metris Prison.

He also said that the quality of the food was bad and the prison administration “puts great pressure on the inmates,” and added that the incident could be an attempt to revolt because of these.

Meanwhile, the Center for Countering Disinformation of the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications said that an inmate set fire to his bed, and the flames were extinguished by the prison staff “before it became a fire.” 

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