Ill prisoner kept in solitary cell in Giresun

Mehmet Darga, a 65-year-old inmate at the Giresun Espiye Type L Prison in Turkey, remains incarcerated despite his advanced age and multiple health issues, Mezopotamya Agency (MA) reports.

Imprisoned since 1992, Darga suffers from hypertension and diabetes. Additionally, he has chronic gastritis and has undergone angiography twice while in prison. Since February, Darga has been held in solitary confinement, reportedly due to his participation in a hunger strike campaign for the freedom of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan and the resolution of the Kurdish issue.

Hülya Darga, his spouse, has expressed that her husband is unable to meet his needs on his own and has appealed for his release. "My husband has been in prison for 32 years, and his illnesses are severe. Besides his health issues, he lost his teeth due to torture. He cannot take care of himself in solitary confinement. If someone were there, at least they could help him. He is struggling on his own.”

For the past seven years, Hülya Darga has been unable to visit her husband due to her own health problems and family issues. She raised their children alone, working various jobs to support the family. "My husband's treatment is not being properly administered. When his condition worsens, he is taken to the hospital. Both his age and his illnesses have progressed. Keeping him in solitary confinement is very risky. He should be released immediately. Our people, human rights organizations, should take care of sick prisoners," she urged.

According to a statement by the Human Rights Association (İHD) in 2023, there are a total of 1,517 sick prisoners in Turkey, 651 of whom are severely ill. (EMK/VK)