New law to allow Turkish authorities to interrogate prisoners arrested over terror for 15 days

Duvar English

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A regulation in the new judicial bill brought to parliament by the government will allow Turkish authorities to interrogate prisoners arrested on terror charges for 15 days.

According to the bill introduced by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), prisoners will be able to be taken out of prison for interrogation if they serve over "terror" upon the orders of "related authorities," prosecutors and criminal court of peace judges.

If the bill is approved, intelligence units will also be granted the authority to get convicts or arrestees out of jail to interrogate them, daily Cumhuriyet reported on April 13, adding that the bill stipulates receiving permission from the said prisoners.

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The well-being of the prisoners will be examined before and after the interrogation and a doctor's report will be prepared, the daily said.

The regulation was criticized by the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Kurdish issue focused Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), with the latter citing the arrest process of the sacked co-mayor of the southeastern province of Diyarbakır.

Co-mayor Selçuk Mızraklı was arrested following the testimony of a prisoner facing life in prison.