Critically ill prisoner dies shortly after release

A prisoner listed as critically ill by the Human Rights Association (İHD) has died following a transfer to a hospital in Ankara for medical treatment. 

Yıldırım Han, who was incarcerated at the Şırnak Type-T Closed Prison in southeastern Turkey, had been moved to the capital city about two weeks ago due to deteriorating health conditions.

In a statement last week, Han had expressed concerns about the treatment of prisoners, saying, "We are under severe isolation. No hot water is provided at all. Guards arbitrarily impose disciplinary punishments on us. We want these practices to end."

The lack of healthcare access for ill prisoners remains a persistent issue in Turkey, particularly for those convicted in politically charged cases. According to the İHD, there were at least 1,517 sick prisoners in Turkey’s prisons as of April 2022, including 651 considered severely ill.

The İHD report from 2023 revealed at least 10,789 rights violations in the country’s prisons, including the deaths of 81 prisoners in the previous year, with six ill prisoners passing away shortly after their release. (AS/VK)