The Death Fast of Behic Asci

ISTANBUL - In a modest flat in the Istanbul suburb of Sisli a lawyer named Behic Asci has not eaten for over 120 days. His ongoing hunger strike or 'death fast' is an act of defiance against unjust laws, a stand of solidarity with hundreds of Turkish political prisoners denied their most basic human rights, and a courageous call for solidarity from human rights supporters around the world. He began the death fast on International Lawyer's Day on April 5 because, he says, he could no longer sit back and watch his clients die.

Born in 1965, the 41 year old Behic Asci qualified as a member of the Istanbul bar in 1995. He has dedicated his career to the cause of human rights and social justice in Turkey. A prominent member of the Turkish Association of Progressive Lawyers Asci has represented over 10,000 clients. He has played a prominent role in representing many of the political prisoners who have been sentenced for their membership of banned revolutionary socialist organisations. The total of political prisoners held in Turkey, including Kurdish political activists, number in the thousands.

Over the last two decades the death fast has become one of the few forms of protest left for both the prisoners held in isolation cells and for their supporters and family members on the outside. Since 1982 122 people have lost their lives on death fasts in a bid to secure basic human rights and end the policy of solitary confinement in Turkey's jails.

Behic Asci has embarked on his death fast fully aware that he may well add to this tragic statistic.

When we arrived at his flat on a Saturday evening for the interview Asci was flanked by two dozen of his supporters and well-wishers from the Association of Solidarity with the Families of Prisoners (TAYAD). Earlier this year TAYAD marked their 20th anniversary. Since their formation TAYAD has campaigned relentlessly against government repression and mainstream media ambivalence to bring the plight of the political prisoners to national and international attention.

We asked Asci for some examples of abuse he had seen as a lawyer representing the political prisoners. Some of the most horrendous crimes were committed during the introduction of the F-type isolation prisons in 2000. Attempts by the prisoners to resist their transfer to the new jails were met with extreme violence. During the transfer process 28 prisoners were murdered by the prison authorities Asci told us.

Six of those killed were set alight and burnt to death. Prison authorities simply returned the remaining ashes to their families. The other 22 prisoners died from gunshot wounds. The perpetrators remain unpunished to this day. The prison guards in Turkey's 11 F-Type prisons are a law unto themselves Asci explained. Many of his clients, both men and women, had been raped while in custody. The preferred instrument of rape among the prison guards has been their batons.

Asci argued that the Turkish legal system provides no protection for the political prisoners held in isolation. In one example a client of Asci's had a guard enter her isolation cell. The guard demanded that she stand up for a prisoner count. The prisoner responded that given she was in an isolation cell there was no need for her to stand - the guard could count her regardless. Enraged at this small show of defiance the guard attacked Asci's client, crushing her skull against the cell wall. When Asci appealled to the court to protest his client's mistreatment his suit was rejected as part of a "terrorist campaign" against F-Type isolation prisons. The court concluded that the prisoner must have crushed her own skull.

The isolation prisons are designed to terrorise, humiliate and break the morale of the political prisoners. Many of the prisoners Asci represented have has their feet taped together, their hands taped behind their backs, and have then been thrown into the isolation cells immobilised. Left alone for hours or days at a time and unable to avail themselves of toýlet facilities they are forced to endure the indignity of repeatedly soiling themselves.

We asked Asci about the impact enforced isolation has had on the health of the prisoners. Isolation extends to both political and non-political detainees Asci responded. The health consequences for both groups are disatrous. Non-political prisoners detained in isolation for an extended period of time are likely to go, literally, insane. The political prisoners generally fare slightly better, Asci added. But they all, without exception, suffer from serious health concerns.

He related the example of a client during a court hearing who had been held in isolation. His client had to halt midway through reading a statement to the court. He had lost his hearing and could no longer hear his own voice.

Prisoners in the F-Type prisons typically suffer from a range of psychological illnesses including stress, anxiety and depression. Added to this the authorities routinely deny prisoners medical assistance and access to legal representation. According to Asci prisoners are arbitrarily refused the prison visits from family members which they are legally entitled to. Their books, newspapers and other reading material are confiscated. The letters sent to their families are heavily censored with long passages blacked out - if they ever arrive at all.

Throughout the interview Asci was calm, self possessed and eloquent as he explained the factors that led him to take the drastic protest of a hunger strike. But the physical signs of such a long time without food were also apparent. Normally a human can survive at most for 60 days without eating. But vitamin supplements can allow a death faster to survive for as long as 300 days.

We questioned Asci about whether his death fast had helped to raise awareness of the prisoners situation among people in Turkey. Yes, he responded. The death fast had already succeeded in modestly breaking through the defacto media censorship around isolation. Today more people in Turkey are aware of the human rights abuses committed in Turkish F-Type jails. He was received support from progressive organisations, fellow lawyers and other professionals, artists and numerous human rights supporters.

These results mean that Asci's campaign has already been a partial success. But his death fast will continue with the single central demand: end isolation.

Ultimate victory in the campaign for human rights in Turkey does not rest within the borders of Turkey alone, Asci told us. Major western powers like the US and the EU have refused to criticise Turkey's isolation prisons and have instead endorsed Turkey as a partner in the so-called 'war on terrorism'. Only strong support and solidarity from human rights campaigners all around the world, combined with resurgent political and social movements within Turkey itself, can hope to hope to end the ongoing torture against Turkey's political prisoners he concluded.

[To send a message of solidarity to Behic Asci email <avukatbehic@mynet.com> or post to Abidei-i-Hurriyet Cadde, Pay Apt. No. 133 Kat 4, Daire 6, Sisli/Istanbul, Turkey. To contact TAYAD email sydtayadkomite@mynet.com or visit http://www.tayad-committee.com/]