The situation of ill prisoners whose release has been postponed for various reasons remains on the agenda. Responding to the parliamentary question by Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party MP Newroz Uysal Aslan on deaths in prisons, the Ministry of Justice stated that one thousand 26 people died between 24 July 2023 and December 2024. 

 

While the Ministry refrained from sharing information on how many ill prisoners are in prisons, according to data released by the Human Rights Association (IHD) on 28 April, there are one thousand 412 ill prisoners in prisons, 335 of whom are seriously ill. Apart from postponing the execution of ill prisoners, the release of ill prisoners who have completed their execution period is postponed by the Administration and Observation Boards. 

 

One of the ill prisoners whose release was postponed is 67-year-old İbrahim Tekin. Tekin completed his 30-year term of execution on 11 May, was postponed for 11 months by the Administration and Observation Board of Şakran T-Type Prison in Aliağa, Izmir, with the decision that he was not in “good behaviour”.

 

Tekin, who was detained in Antalya in 1995, had all his teeth removed with pliers, his testicles were punctured and his ribs were crushed. Tekin’s diseases such as sleep apnoea, asthma and goitre recurred due to torture and prison conditions. He is also living in prison with an oxygen tube.

 

'WE FEAR OF HIS LIFE'

 

Tekin's lawyer Ozcan Sarioglu, co-chair of the Izmir branch of the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD), said that Tekin was “punished” again. Sarioglu stated that they are worried for his client's life. 

 

Sarioglu stated that they appealed against the postponement decision but did not get any result and said, "The Observation Board re-judges prisoners who have completed their sentences in terms of conditional release as if they were a judicial body. We also see this in the evaluation made about our client. The questions asked at this stage cannot be asked either in the police or in court. Our 67-year-old client, who is seriously ill, is given decisions based on assumptions that ‘he will join the organisation again’ or that ‘he may have problems integrating into society’. When the Administrative and Observation Boards make decisions about the freedom of prisoners, lawyers should be present there. In these evaluations, people should receive legal assistance in case of unlawful questions asked to people. Because no evaluations made about prisoners are recorded. A decision on the freedom of the person is taken with a decision that does not even have the signature of the prisoner, but only the signature of the participants of the board."

 

'THE MINISTRY SHOULD NOT BE CONTENT WITH SHARING DATA'

 

Stating that rights defenders and legal organisations have conducted studies on torture and rights violations in prisons, Sarioglu said, "Unfortunately, the studies carried out by rights defence organisations have actually revealed a very small part of the picture. The Ministry's data showed us that the real picture is very, very big and horrible. The fact that one thousand 26 people died in prisons before the end of 2 years is actually an admission of a crime. In this sense, we should also ask what kind of treatment people receive in prisons. The fact that the number is so high reveals that people are restricted in accessing treatment, as we have always expressed before. The Ministry of Justice should not be content with sharing the fact that so many people lost their lives in 515 days as data."

 

'IT SHOULD NOT BE TURNED INTO A POLITICAL BARGAIN'

 

Referring to the torture and rights violations suffered by ill prisoners, Sarioglu said that very biased decisions were made in the applications made to the Forensic Medicine Institution (ATK) regarding the condition of ill prisoners. Reminding that the release of ill prisoners depends on the ATK in the current regulations: "However, even for prisoners who are seriously ill and approaching the last days of their lives, the ATK gives the report 'they can stay in prison'. We see that the ATK has a systematic 'attitude'. This 'attitude' of the ATK needs to change. In the processes we have been going through in recent months, both prisoners and their families have expectations. Considering the current regulations, ill prisoners should already be released. The situation of ill prisoners should not be turned into a political bargain in any way."

 

MA / Uğurcan Boztaş