‘At least 59 ill prisoners have lost their lives in Turkey since 2020’

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The Human Rights Association (İHD) Prisons Commission held a press conference today (December 14) and raised concerns about the violations of the right to healthcare in Turkey's prisons.

Referring to ill prisoners in the country, the Commission said, "We demand urgent release of seriously ill prisoners."

In their statement for the press, the İHD Prisons Commission underlined that "one of the most significant problems of the prison regime in Turkey is the violations of rights faced by ill prisoners."

As far as the İHD could document, there are 1,605 ill prisoners in Turkey. 604 of them are in a serious condition. According to the association, "this number naturally accounts for only a minor part of the ill."

As underlined by the Prisons Commission, exact numbers of ill prisoners in Turkey are not known since the relevant authority on prisons and detention centers does not share data about the issue.

"In prisons; ill prisoners, prisoners with serious cardiac diseases and cancer, those who have multiple chronic diseases, the ones suffering from psychological disorders and hundreds of ill prisoners who cannot sustain their lives by themselves can neither be treated nor is the execution of their prison sentences deferred," the İHD underlined.

It added, "Ill prisoners are deprived of the opportunity to be treated in prisons; the requests for treating them outside prisons are mostly rejected."

COVID-19

At this point, the İHD Prisons Commission also talked about the reports issued by the Forensic Medicine Institutions and the pandemic:

"Due to the partial and unscientific reports issued by the Forensic Medicine Institution for seriously ill prisoners who cannot lead their lives in prison, the detention of ill prisoners is prolonged and their illnesses progress. We would like to stress that the negative effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on the people with chronic diseases poses a serious threat to seriously ill prisoners.

Since early 2020, at least 59 ill prisoners, seven of whom shortly after the deferment of the execution of their sentences, have lost their lives. With the aim of preventing a further increase in the number of deceased prisoners, all ill prisoners must be released and it must be ensured that they are treated at fully-fledged hospitals. Several prisoners, not treated in a hospital environment, lose their lives in prison. The prisoners who can be released are released at the last stages of their lives and they lose their lives shortly after being released.

"Mehmet Ali Çelebi had not been released for a long time despite being a stage 4 cancer patient; the execution of his sentence was deferred only when it came to an irreversible point and he lost his life in the intensive care unit of the hospital where he had been taken 10 days later.

Also, we have sadly heard that seriously ill prisoner Bangin Muhammed from Rojava, who was held in the İskenderun Type T Prison and not treated, has lost his life. In the person of Mehmet Emin Özkan and Aysel Tuğluk, seriously ill prisoners are not released in spite of all applications, thereby leading to violations of right to life.

Concluding the statement, the İHD Prisons Commission also listed its recommendations and requests within this context. (AÖ/SD)