The Human Rights Association (IHD) Izmir Branch Prison Commission issued a written statement instead of holding its weekly press conference to demand freedom for ill prisoners in front of Sümerbank. The press conference was canceled due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) epidemic. .

In the statement attention was drawn to the situation of Ali Kurban (53), an ill prisoner with a 90 percent disability report as well as bronchitis and kidney failure and is in Şakran No. 3 T Type Closed Prison and Mehmet Salih Filiz who has colon cancer and is in Ödemiş T Type Prison, 

The statement stated that 48 percent of Ali Kurban's lungs are not working while the kidneys were 90 percent inoperable. The statement added that Kurban suffers from tuberculosis for a long time and is on the list of  the 'IHD's seriously ill prisoners'. Kurban is receiving dialysis treatment. After coming from dialysis, he was quarantined for precautionary reasons, given that he is in the group of people at risk of contracting coronavirus given his chronic diseases.

Mehmet Salih Filiz, who was transferred to Ödemiş T Type Prison 3 months ago from Antalya L Type Closed Prison, had been treated for colon cancer and tuberculosis. The IHD statement said: "It is necessary to make an injection every 14 days for colon cancer. However, Filiz has never been taken to the hospital."

The statement ended by demanding the release of "all prisoners, beginning with those ill" and claiming that "the State will be responsible, should any death ocurrs."