Turkey Constitutional Court rules solitary confinement of female inmates violates rights

Turkey’s Constitutional Court has ruled that solitary confinement imposed on 23 female inmates at Bakırköy Women’s Prison in İstanbul violated their freedom of expression. The ruling follows disciplinary actions taken in January 2024 after authorities seized publications and handwritten notes during prison searches.

The court determined that authorities failed to justify the disciplinary measures or demonstrate a pressing social need, concluding that the interference was not necessary in a democratic society. It noted that some seized documents found in common areas had not been linked to specific individuals. As a result, the court has ordered a retrial to remedy the violations and awarded non-pecuniary damages to the applicants.