Critically Ill Prisoners on Parliament Agenda

Member of Parliament Zafer Üskül, president of the Parliamentary Human Rights Committee, has gone to visit prisoner Güler Zere, with fourth stage cancer, in Adana.

Conflicting medical reports

Üskül will also speak to authorities at the hospital, where Zere is being kept in a prison ward, and with doctors.

According to a report from Adana's Çukuruva University's forensic medical department, Zere is in danger of dying and the hospital's prison ward is not suitable for continuing her treatment. However, the Istanbul Forensic Medical Institute's 3rd specialist board said in its report that Zere could continue her treatment as a prisoner.

The decision has sparked anger, particularly as some defendants in the high-profile Ergenekon trial have managed to be released with less serious health problems.

Human rights activists have called for the release of prisoners with serious health problems. They have also questioned the neutrality of the Forensic Medical Institute and have called for university medical reports to be considered.

Questions for Minister of Justice

Now Çetin Soysal, MP for the Republican People's Party (CHP) has asked Minister of Justice Sadullah Ergin the following questions:

* Have there been any preparations made for President Abdullah Gül to use his authority to have Güler Zere released from prison?

* Does your Ministry receive regular information on Zere's health status from the prison directorate?

* Since the Forensic Medical Institute has come under fire for its recent decisions, is its report on Zere trustworthy?

* Has your ministry carried out research into detainees and prisoners who are facing death? How many other detainees and prisoners are there in Güler Zere's situtation?

* What do prisons do about detainees and prisoners with illnesses at advanced stages?

* Where and under what conditions are detainees and prisoners who face death being treated?

Ergin had previously been asked by MP Aysel Tuğluk from the Democratic Society Party (DTP) about the situation of seriously ill prisoners.

Call by Arıtman

Meanwhile, CHP MP Canan Arıtman has asked President Gül to grant speedy amnesties to 20 people in prison. She made this call via the press yesterday (6 August). The names on her list are:

Güler Zere, Erol Zavar, Aynur Epil, Gülezar Akın, A. Samet Çelik, Hasan Mert, Nizamettin Akar, Gazi Dağ, Yusuf Kaplan, İnayet Mete, Menduh Kılıç, Remzi Aydın, Halil Güneş, İsmet Ayaz, Nesim Kalkan, Mustafa Gök, Bekir Şimşek, Mehmet Yeşiltepe, İzzet Turan, Halil Yıldız.

Arıtman, who is herself a doctor, said in her statement that Gül had previously pardoned Necmettin Erbakan, an aging Islamist politician: "These people are all in worse health and in need of more care from others than Erbakan, whom President Gül pardoned. The President must use his authority for amnesty, regardless of the religion, origin, political views or nature of the crimes of the detainees and prisoners."

Arıtman added, "Whatever the crime, keeping people in prison when they have fatal illnesses is torture. This is not punishment, such practices cannot happen in a modern state of law which is based on human rights."

Six already died in prison

Previously, DTP MP Akın Birdal had sent Gül a letter, listing the cases of seriously ill patients and asking him to use his power of presidential pardon.

According to the Association of Contemporary Lawyers (ÇHD), 18 people may die in prison.

The Human Rights Association (İHD) says that six people died from their health problems in prison this year: Mustafa Elelçi, Gurbet Mete, Hasan Kert, Beşir Özer, Recep Çelik ve İsmet Ablak. (TK/AG)