After the death of political prisoner Mehmet Çeviren in the high-security prison in Beşiri in the province of Batman, new indications have intensified doubts about the official claim of suicide. Relatives report blood and burn marks on clothing and personal belongings and are demanding a thorough clarification.
Mehmet Çeviren, who was arrested in 2016 in Mardin’s Derik district on “terror-related charges” and later sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment, was found dead in his cell under unclear circumstances four days ago. Turkish authorities describe the death as a suicide, but his family firmly rejects this account.
Blood and burn marks raise questions
The brother of the deceased, Velat Çeviren, stated that the family identified irregularities after receiving his personal belongings. “Why are there bloodstains on the clothing of someone who is said to have hanged himself?” Çeviren told ANF. In addition to blood traces, tears in the clothing were also identified. There are also indications of burn marks on Çeviren’s shoes. According to the family, these circumstances contradict the narrative of suicide. The imam who washed the body also reportedly expressed doubts, stating that the death did not appear to be a suicide, according to the brother.
Doubts about the suicide thesis
Velat Çeviren also referred to his brother’s detention conditions. He had reportedly been held in solitary confinement in an isolation cell for years, which, according to the family, calls into question the possibility of suicide. “It is very difficult to find the means for suicide under such conditions,” he said. In addition, Çeviren, who was a father of three, had requested personal items shortly before his death. “How can someone who is making plans for the next day suddenly take his own life?” he asked.
Call for an independent investigation
Velat Çeviren also recalled a similar case a few years ago, in which a prisoner from Şırnak is said to have died under unclear circumstances in the same prison. He is calling for a full clarification of his brother’s death. “We want all medical and factual circumstances to be disclosed,” he said, announcing that they would file complaints against those potentially responsible.
IHD and ÖHD initiate legal steps
Human rights organizations have also become involved in the Çeviren case. The branches of the Human Rights Association (IHD) and the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD) in Batman stated that they would continue to pursue the case. According to both NGOs, legal steps have been initiated. They are demanding, among other things, the release of the autopsy report, which has not yet been made available, as well as video recordings from the prison. They also announced that they would prepare their own report on the case.
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