TEHRAN The Turkish human rights body announced on Friday that 166 prisoners have been subjected to torture since the first half of the current year.

The Anatolian News Agency quoted the head of Turkish human rights body as saying that 4 people have succumbed to their death in the first half of the year. The human rights chairman further noted that 11 others have been mysteriously killed and the identity of the murderers have remained unknown.

The human rights violations and the torture of political prisoners are the main stumbling block to Turkey's demand for EU membership.

The EU is a vocal critic of human rights violations in Turkey and has called on Ankara to stop the practice of torture in its prisons and observe human rights.