Torture and violations of rights in Turkey have continued to increase in 2022. The demands of families and human rights organizations are not met in prisons where seriously ill prisoners are not treated and suspicious deaths are frequently reported. Political prisoners are placed in solitary cells based on arbitrary disciplinary punishments.

Interviewed by ANF about violations of rights and suspicious deaths in prisons, Human Rights Association (IHD) executive member Nuray Çevirmen underlined that sick prisoners are either released when they are close to death, or they are not released at all.

Çevirmen revealed that there are currently 1517 sick prisoners, 651 of whom are seriously ill, in Turkey’s prisons. Çevirmen said: “There are old people, people with disabilities and a permanent illness, cancer patients and lung patients. Almost all sick prisoners have more than one illness. Prisoners face difficulties in accessing health services. Prisoners cannot go to hospitals due to practices contrary to human dignity, such as handcuffed medical exams and single ring vehicles. There are not enough doctors and health personnel in prisons. Doctors are available only for certain days of the week and at certain times, which makes access to health impossible.”

PRISONERS RELEASED ON THE VERGE OF DEATH

Çevirmen emphasized that prisoners with serious health problems are kept in solitary cells. Çevirmen continued: “Prisoners are malnourished, sick prisoners do not have access to diet food. There are clean water and hot water quotas. Food products in the canteen are both scarce and very expensive, and sick prisoners cannot find supplementary foods due to financial problems. Seriously ill prisoners are not released even though they are in the last stages of their illness.

The Forensic Medicine Institute makes release decisions based on political motives and does not recognize hospital reports. Moreover, reports or decisions are not carried into effect for "security" concerns, which deteriorates the situation of sick prisoners. Only a few prisoners are released when they are on the verge of death, and they die soon after.

We appeal to the authorities for the release and full treatment of all seriously ill prisoners, but unfortunately no improvement can be achieved. The Directorate General of Prisons and Detention Houses do not share any data on sick prisoners.”

SUSPICIOUS DEATHS INCREASED

The names of the prisoners who lost their lives in prisons in 2022 are as follows:

* Ramazan Turan (70) died of a heart attack in his solitary cell in Van High Security Prison.

* Mehmet Hanefi Bilgin (58). Bilgin, who was jailed in 1992, died of a heart attack in Bolu F Type Prison.

* Turgay Deniz (39). Deniz, a tuberculosis patient who lived with a tube for 12 years, died in Metris T-type Closed Prison since he was not treated.

* Bedri Çakmak was released from Diyarbakır D Type Closed Prison as a result of a public initiative after he weighed 35 kilograms due to stomach cancer. Cakmak died shortly after his release.

* Hayri Karaş contracted bowel cancer in Diyarbakır D Type Closed Prison. Karaş, who was released after a Forensic Medicine Institute (ATK) report said that he could not stay in prison, died 10 days after his release.

* Sinan Kaya (28) died suspiciously in his solitary cell in Iğdır S Type Closed Prison.

* Şervan Can Güder (20) died suspiciously in Van F Type Closed Prison. The prison administration said that he died as a result of a heart attack, yet his family revealed that he did not have any chronic diseases.

* Abdo Baran (82) was jailed in Midyat M Type Closed Prison. He died in Gazi Yaşargil hospital, where he was hospitalized due to cancer.

* Mehmet Sevinç (63) died suspiciously in Manisa T Type Closed Prison.

* Seyit Şahin suspiciously died in Patnos L Type Prison. It was claimed that Şahin was forced to commit suicide.

* Abdullah Ece (73) who was jailed in İzmir Kırıklar F Type Prison died after he was intubated in a hospital due to Covid-19.

* Ferhat Doğan lost his life in Tarsus T Type Prison suspiciously. The prison administration claimed that he committed suicide.

* Sıddık Uğur (29) died suspiciously in Batman Beşiri High Security Closed Prison. The prison administration claimed that he committed suicide.

* Kadri Ekici (25) died suspiciously in a solitary cell in Diyarbakir No. 2 High Security Closed Prison.

* Zülfü Yıldırım (68) died 10 days before his release in Elazığ No. 2 High Security Closed Prison. Yıldırım's family was informed that he had died due to a heart attack. He was 96 percent disabled and had a brain tumour.

* Mehmet Candemir (60) died in Giresun Espiye L Type Closed Prison due to a heart attack.

* Bazo Yılmaz (67) died in Urfa No. 2 T Type Prison. An ATK report said that Yılmaz, who had an advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), "could stay in prison".

* Barış Keve (25) died suspiciously in a solitary cell in Malatya Akçadağ T Type Closed Prison.

* Süphan Çabuk (34) who was jailed in Rize Kalkandere L Type Closed Prison, died as a result of a heart attack in a hospital where he was taken to.

* Emre Abalak (26) died in Şırnak T Type Closed Prison. His family was informed that he had a brain haemorrhage after he fell in the bathroom. Abalak was a cancer patient.

* Tahir Gürdal (53) was released after 10 years in Van F Type High Security Prison. Gürdal, who contracted lung cancer in prison, died 13 days after his release.

* Nevzat Çapkın was jailed in Trabzon Beşikdüzü T Type Closed Prison for 29 years. Çapkın, who was seriously ill, died in a hospital where he was treated about 8 months after his release.