Özdağ: Gang members are reportedly subjecting detained youths to severe bullying.

01.04.2025 07:50

Ümit Özdağ, the leader of the Victory Party who is detained in Silivri Prison, stated that the young people arrested during the protests that began after the arrest of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu are subjected to pressure from gang members. Özdağ said, "They are telling them things like 'Your life is over now; your only chance when you get out is to join us.' They have beaten a young man who wanted to heat up his pastry to the point of death."

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Imprisoned Victory Party Chairman Ümit Özdağ shared a map of the area where he is held in Silivri Marmara Prison. Özdağ emphasized that he wants the indictment against him to be completed and to be tried, stating that the young people arrested during the protests that began after İmamoğlu's arrest were subjected to mobbing.

SHARED A MAP OF THE AREA HE IS HELD IN

Ümit Özdağ, the imprisoned Chairman of the Victory Party, presented a map of the area where he is held to the public through a post on his X account. In his statement, Özdağ noted, "Today, I used the 20 square meter yard of my cell outside of sports. The sun was hitting one of the opposite corners. I placed my chair in that corner and put a small stool next to me. I brewed my tea, had some biscuits, and while the sun warmed my head and body, I went for a walk in the streets of Trabzon in 1912, holding Nazan Bekiroğlu's novel 'Pomegranate Tree' in my hand.

"IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO ESCAPE OR DESTROY EVIDENCE"

Today is my 72nd day in the cell in Silivri, March 31, 2025. It is not possible for me to escape or destroy evidence. Even if I receive the maximum sentence of 3 years, I must be released from prison. My only wish is for the indictment that I have heard is being prepared to be approved by the prosecutor's office and sent to court for my trial.

"THEY BEAT HIM SEVERELY WHEN HE WANTED TO HEAT HIS PASTRY"

A lawyer who came to visit me in prison this morning told me. In the recent events, young people who were arrested and brought to Silivri are being subjected to heavy mobbing by gang members inside. Along with pressures like 'Your life is over, your only chance when you get out is to join us,' they beat a young man who held a pastry distributed for breakfast to the steam of the kettle to heat it, saying, 'You cannot heat it without our permission.' The young man managed to escape by calling the prison guards.