JINHA

NEWS CENTER - Anarchist women in Turkey have called for a letter campaign for a trans woman prisoner held in a men's prison. The woman, Esra Arıkan, is being imprisoned with guards who have repeatedly sexually assaulted her and may be suicidal.

Trans prisoner Esra has been imprisoned for 11 years in men's prisons in Turkey. She has written that the judge gave her a life sentence for a crime she did not commit because of bias. Esra has been in solitary confinement for the last nine years. She has been sexually attacked throughout her time in prison. Now, prison wardens have returned Esra to the prison where guards repeatedly sexually assaulted her.

In a 2014 letter to anarchist newspaper Meydan, Esra explained that she collected the guard's sperm from her body in the wake of one attack. She then filed charges against the guard. Courts detained the guard for one year--until a judge ruled that the attack was "consensual." After the attack, Esra was transferred to another prison. Now, officials have transferred her back to the prison where guards attacked her.

"Esra is demanding to be transferred to a women's prison," said Nergis Şen, a member of the group Anarchist Women. Nergis has been corresponding with Esra. "She can't do anything in the prison she is in. Because she's trans, she can't go to her weekly time in the chat area. She can't go to the library or the gym. Esra has stomach problems because of the stress and she is not getting regular treatment.

"She has found this difficult and she can't keep going. She's thinking of harming herself. Esra has attempted suicide before; she only survived through surgery."

Anarchist women, human rights groups and LGBTI groups have begun a letter-writing campaign to Esra. Her address is:

Samsun E Tipi Kapalı Cezaevi
B-4 Koğuşu
Canik
Samsun
Turkey

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