content tagged with ill prisoners

Release of seriously ill prisoner Mehmet Sait Yıldırım postponed for third time

Release of seriously ill prisoner Mehmet Sait Yıldırım postponed for third time

Yıldırım's release was blocked twice before due to reasons including "lack of remorse."

16 December 2025

Ayşegül Başar

Release of Mehmet Sait Yıldırım blocked for second time after 30 years in prison

Release of Mehmet Sait Yıldırım blocked for second time after 30 years in prison

"Even if I die here, I will leave with my honor intact. I won’t leave in any other way. Everyone should know that the will of a revolutionary who has dedicated his entire life to the freedom of his people cannot be broken," says Yıldırım.

1 December 2025 Ayşegül Başar

Erdoğan pardons elderly Kurdish prisoner with severe health issues

Erdoğan pardons elderly Kurdish prisoner with severe health issues

Amid longstanding criticism over the continued imprisonment of ill PKK-linked prisoners, Erdoğan issues pardon for a severely ill prisoner during a new Kurdish peace initiative.

Rights group calls for release of activist jailed for supporting ill prisoners

Rights group calls for release of activist jailed for supporting ill prisoners

Hatice Onaran, who is diagnosed with cancer, was jailed due to depositing money to ill prisoners.

82-year-old ill prisoner released under supervision

82-year-old ill prisoner released under supervision

Arslan was jailed in 2021 after her sentence for "membership in a terrorist organization" was upheld.

27 January 2025

Court rejected ALS-suffering prisoner’s release request days before his death, lawyers reveal

Court rejected ALS-suffering prisoner’s release request days before his death, lawyers reveal

Abdulkadir Kuday lost his life in prison on Oct 2. His lawyers argue that the refusal of his appeal violated the prohibition of torture.

Ill prisoner Abdulkadir Kuday dies in prison

Ill prisoner Abdulkadir Kuday dies in prison

Kuday, suffering from multiple health issues including ALS, was not released despite medical reports.

İnanç Yıldız

Elderly prisoner denied medication in Batman prison

Elderly prisoner denied medication in Batman prison

The 72-year-old prisoner has been denied essential medication for two weeks due to the "unavailability" of the drugs.

29 August 2024 İnanç Yıldız

Call for release of elderly prisoner with dementia

Call for release of elderly prisoner with dementia

The Council of Forensic Medicine previously ruled that Abdulalim Kaya could be able to stay in a specific type of prison.

Ill prisoner kept in solitary cell in Giresun

Ill prisoner kept in solitary cell in Giresun

Mehmet Darga was put in solitary confinement reportedly because of his participation in hunger strikes protesting PKK leader Öcalan’s confinement.

Critically ill prisoner dies shortly after release

Critically ill prisoner dies shortly after release

Yıldırım Han was released from prison and transferred to a hospital after his condition deteriorated two weeks ago.

Two prisoners go on hunger strike in solidarity with ill and disabled inmate

Two prisoners go on hunger strike in solidarity with ill and disabled inmate

Rights defenders have urged authorities to address rights violations occurring in "high-security" prisons, which they describe as "literal coffins" for prisoners suffering from illnesses.

22 April 2024 Evrim Kepenek

71-year-old ill prisoner put in confinement after angiography

71-year-old ill prisoner put in confinement after angiography

Grappling with several health issues, Yıldırım had received a report that solitary confinement was unsuitable for his health.

12 January 2024

Ill prisoner whose release was obstructed for an extended period loses life battle

Ill prisoner whose release was obstructed for an extended period loses life battle

Human Rights Association Ankara branch emphasized that the decision to postpone the execution given when Cemal Tanhan was on the brink of death would not change the fact that he lost his life in prison, constituting a violation of his right to life.

5 December 2023

Ill prisoner’s situation on parliamentary agenda

Ill prisoner’s situation on parliamentary agenda

Green Left MP Eren has applied to the Parliament’s Human Rights Examination Commission.

29 September 2023

Plight of severely ill prisoner on parliamentary agenda

Plight of severely ill prisoner on parliamentary agenda

A 27-year-old woman is kept behind bars despite suffering from severe heart and high blood pressure conditions, along with a herniated disc.

Justice Ministry issues new procedures to facilitate release of ill prisoners

Justice Ministry issues new procedures to facilitate release of ill prisoners

With a new circular, the authorities will examine severely ill, disabled or elderly prisoners

Police officer slaps HDP İstanbul head, journalist who filmed the incident detained

Police officer slaps HDP İstanbul head, journalist who filmed the incident detained

HDP members gathered to demand freedom for ill prisoners. Police dispersed the crowd.

19 December 2022

'Our children were healthy when arrested'

ILL PRISONERS

'Our children were healthy when arrested'

Families called out to courts again on 387th day of Justice Watch in Diyarbakır and in İzmir.

8 December 2022

'Our children were healthy when arrested'

'Our children were healthy when arrested'

Families gathered and spoke in Diyarbakır and in İzmir on Justice Watch for the 387th day.

8 December 2022

Ill prisoner dies two months after release

Ill prisoner dies two months after release

Sentenced to life imprisonment, Ehettin Kaynar was hospitalized following his diagnosis of stage 4 cancer.

1 November 2022

Aysel Tuğluk released after Forensic Medicine Institute report

Aysel Tuğluk released after Forensic Medicine Institute report

The institute yesterday concluded that Tuğluk cannot stay in prison. Imprisoned since late 2016, the Kurdish politician was diagnosed with dementia in March last year.

27 October 2022 Ruken Tuncel

Justice Ministry to discuss situation of Aysel Tuğluk, ill prisoners

Justice Ministry to discuss situation of Aysel Tuğluk, ill prisoners

Minister Bozdağ says "we see the need for a new arrangement" for ill prisoners.

15 September 2022

'At least 50 ill prisoners died in Türkiye in 2022'

'At least 50 ill prisoners died in Türkiye in 2022'

Members of the Freedom for Lawyers Association gathered in front of the Diyarbakır Courthouse to bring attention to prisoner deaths.

9 September 2022

Kurdish politician Aysel Tuğluk hospitalized

Kurdish politician Aysel Tuğluk hospitalized

Diagnosed with dementia over a year ago, Tuğluk is still kept in prison despite her worsening condition.

9 September 2022

Eighty-year-old ill prisoner Makbule Özer released

Eighty-year-old ill prisoner Makbule Özer released

Özer was sent to prison after she was found guilty of "aiding a terrorist organization."

8 September 2022

Doctors examined 80-year-old Kurdish prisoner 'with body language' as no interpreter provided

Doctors examined 80-year-old Kurdish prisoner 'with body language' as no interpreter provided

The Ministry of Justice rejected the claims, saying that the patient was able to understand doctors' instructions.

Families of ill prisoners demand justice in İzmir

Families of ill prisoners demand justice in İzmir

The families gathered on the 95th day of the "Justice Watch," calling on the justice minister and the president to take action regarding ill prisoners.

Prisoner with disabilities who was kept in solitary confinement dies

Prisoner with disabilities who was kept in solitary confinement dies

Despite being 98 percent disabled, Bekir Güven was sent to jail after his sentence for his social media posts was upheld. "It was the worst three days of my life," he had said.

Ill prisoner catches Covid twice

Ill prisoner catches Covid twice

HDP deputy Abdullah Koç has submitted a parliamentary question about the situation of ill prisoner Suat Oğuz.

At least 1,517 ill prisoners behind bars in Turkey

HUMAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION

At least 1,517 ill prisoners behind bars in Turkey

The Forensic Medicine Institute should no longer be the sole authority to decide whether an ill prisoner can stay in prison, İHD Co-Chair Türkdoğan has said.

Women lawyers visit ill Kurdish politician Aysel Tuğluk, criticize bars for silence

Women lawyers visit ill Kurdish politician Aysel Tuğluk, criticize bars for silence

Diagnosed with dementia, Aysel Tuğluk is kept in prison despite medical reports suggesting that she should be released.

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