Plight of severely ill prisoner on parliamentary agenda

Click to read the article in Turkish

Green Left Party Deputy Nejla Demir has submitted a parliamentary question regarding the condition of ill prisoner Şivakar Ataş.

In her question, Nejla Demir informed that the 27-year-old prisoner suffers from severe heart and high blood pressure conditions, along with a herniated disc. She highlighted the urgent need for surgery due to cysts detected in her uterus.

Due to the deteriorating health condition of Ataş and her inability to carry out daily life activities independently, Nejla Demir brought the matter to the attention of the parliament, requesting a postponement of her sentence.

According to the most recent data from the Human Rights Association (İHD), there are currently a total of 1,517 ill prisoners in Turkey's prisons, with 651 of them being severely ill. In 2022, at least 81 prisoners lost their lives in prisons.

The Human Rights Association's (İHD) İstanbul Branch Prison Commission had previously documented Ataş's situation: "The unresolved issues related to hospital referral and treatment processes, such as transportation in a ring vehicle, handcuffed examination and treatment, and humiliating body searches, are causing significant problems in accessing treatment for many ill prisoners, including Şivakar Ataş.

"I couldn't recognize my daughter"

Ataş's mother provided the following information to the İHD Prison Commission: 'Due to her objections to injustices, Şivakar faced torture while in Tarsus Prison. Her eyes would turn purple, and she was placed in a 'padded cell.' As a result, wounds appeared on her body. There was decay in her heart valve, and she needed injections every 20 days to prevent the decay, but her treatment was not administered during the pandemic. She also needs surgery for her herniated disc.

"In our last meeting, I had difficulty recognizing my daughter; I saw that she had become extremely weak. She told me that she had two cysts in her uterus and needed treatment for them. A date was set for Şivakar's uterine surgery, but it has not been performed yet; we are waiting.'

Ataş's mother emphasized the urgent need for her daughter's treatment and expressed her desire to be a companion for her after the surgery."

MP Demir submitted the following questions:

1. What is the justification for detaining Şivakar Ataş in Bakırköy Women's Closed Prison despite her severe conditions of heart disease, high blood pressure, herniated disc, and diagnosed cysts in her uterus?

2. Is there an explanation for the practices that have caused serious issues in accessing treatment for Şivakar Ataş, such as transportation via a ring vehicle, handcuffed examination and treatment, and humiliating body searches, which have also affected many other sick prisoners?

3. Will there be any efforts made to ensure that the treatment of the sick prisoner can take place in a fully equipped hospital facility?

4. Considering the deteriorating health condition of the sick prisoner and her inability to carry out daily life activities independently, will there be any attempts to postpone her sentence?

5. Are the allegations true that Şivakar Ataş was subjected to torture while in Tarsus Prison? Has any investigation or prosecution been initiated or will be initiated against the relevant prison administration and personnel?

6. Is it known that Şivakar Ataş needs injections every 20 days to prevent decay in her heart valve, and her health has significantly deteriorated due to the interruption of treatment during the pandemic, and that she also requires herniated disc surgery? (AS/VK)