Due to the torture and isolation policy of the Turkish state, many ill prisoners lost their lives in the last period. Hundreds of ill prisoners today are unable to look after themselves in jail. Ill prisoners are not treated, nor are they released.

Justice Vigils demanding the release of ill prisoners have been launched by the families in the provinces of Kurdistan and Turkey.

One of the ill prisoners whose condition is deteriorating is Görgin Oktar, who was sentenced to life imprisonment and has been held in jail for 27 years.

Oktar from Varto, Muş, who was held in Istanbul Maltepe Prison and underwent 5 surgeries. He had part of his lung removed. He is also struggling with many diseases such as heart enlargement, diabetes, varicose veins in the legs, swelling in the body.

Oktar, who recently caught coronavirus, was kept in an isolation cell.

Oktar said during the weekly visit with his family: "I am coughing intensely due to the coronavirus. I have blood in my mouth due to coughing."

Oktar's sister, Hatun Bingöl, said that her brother's lung was badly damaged due to the coronavirus and added: "My brother was not treated adequately when he contracted coronavirus. Doctors said that his lung was severely damaged due to the virus. Although he survived the coronavirus, he is coughing heavily now.”

Hatun Bingöl added: “They took him to Lütfi Kırdar Hospital before. The doctor here transferred my brother to the University Hospital after examining him, but the prison administration brought my brother to the prison instead of the hospital. They gave my brother, who needed to be treated in the hospital, things like pickles, lemons and vinegar to reduce his fever. In addition to the illness of my untreated brother, now he has blood in his mouth."

‘We don’t get treatment’

Bingöl said that her brother told her that “they are not treated in prison. He said the prison authorities play all kinds of games to avoid taking them to the hospital. They insult them and apply psychological pressure. They have been waiting for them to take them to the hospital for days.”

Reminding that her brother had two lung surgeries, Bingöl called for his release so that he could be treated properly.