Another seriously ill prisoner has died in Turkey. Süphan Çabuk had been imprisoned since 2016 and, due to a deterioration in his health, was transferred from the Rize Kalkandere correctional facility to a hospital, where he died today. The 34-year-old prisoner was accused of separatist activities and, according to his lawyer, he suffered from a heart condition and was tortured.

Serhat Eren, who legally represented Süphan Çabuk in his trial for "destruction and totality of the state", is also the deputy co-chair of the HDP Law and Human Rights Commission. As Eren told the Mezopotamya Agency (MA), a court hearing should have taken place today. According to law enforcement officials, Çabuk suffered a fainting spell while preparing the video broadcast in prison. Lawyer Eren says that his client would not have had to die if he had received medical treatment: "The prison killed him, the Ministry of Justice is responsible."

Information about the cause of Çubuk’s death is not available, and his body is to be autopsied. The Libertarian Lawyers' Association (ÖHD) visited Çabuk in Rize after his transfer from Amed and subsequently reported on his heart complaints and his demand for proper medical treatment. The report also stated that Çabuk refused to wear handcuffs during medical examinations. For this reason, he was not taken to hospital. In addition, he was mistreated during his transfer to Kalkandere prison. Criminal charges against those responsible were dropped, and all legal initiatives came to nothing.