The Freedom for Ill Prisoners Initiative in Ankara drew attention to the situation of ill prisoners in Sincan Women's Closed Prison during the 309th week of their protest.

Nuray Çevirmen, member of the IHD Central Executive Board, underlined that there are 18 prisoners, 4 of them seriously ill, in Sincan Women's Closed Prison.

Çevirmen spoke about the situation of the four seriously ill prisoners, Pınar Tikit, Dilber Tanrıkulu, Rihan Kavak Özbek and Canan Utangaç.

Çevirmen said: "These prisoners should be released immediately" and added: “Pınar Tikit has a cyst in his brain. The cyst is now 8 cm and she is suffering from fainting crisis. Doctors do not want to operate in prison condition. She is running a serious risk.”

As to Rihan Kavak Özbek, Çevirmen said: “She suffers from muscle and nerve problems. She has a herniated disc. There is a mass in her breasts, she has mammography once a year. She has asthma (shortness of breath) and has to use two different sprays. She also suffered from hyper thyroid.”

Dilber Tanrıkulu, on the other hand underwent 3 separate operations in Diyarbakır Dicle Hospital due to open wounds on her shoulder and foot. A prosthesis and metal parts were attached to one foot (permanent prosthesis). She had an operation on her arm once again in the same hospital. The doctors wrote a report saying that she could not stay in prison, but she was not released. She was then sent to Ankara.

Canan Utangaç on 4 December 2018 fell on her back from the bunk bed to the concrete floor. She was taken to the infirmary, then to the hospital on the campus, and then to Sincan State Hospital, on a portable iron-railed stretcher, without any care, and was transferred to Numune Hospital in the evening and underwent an urgent surgery.

While undergoing surgery she was told that she could be paralyzed from her neck and was asked to sign a document accepting responsibility for that.

Çevirmen said: “Her family was notified only the next day. The operation lasted for 7-8 hours. In this operation, two bars and 8 screws and 2 platinum were attached to the waist to attach these bars and she was given 60-70 stitches.

On the day she was discharged, she was taken to prison by bus in pain. Although more than one year has passed since the surgery, she still needs to be always with someone as she cannot provide to her basic needs on her own.”