Prisons and COVID-19: Ill prisoners on the edge of 'death'

img
İZMİR - Ahmet Ertaş, the Co-Chair of the Aegean Association of Solidarity with the Families of Prisoners and Detainees shared the information that the violations of rights have reached the highest level together with the pandemic, noting that the ill prisoners who lack their treatment rights are on the edge of 'death'.
 
The Human Rights Association (İHD) Prisons Commission has announced that there are 1,334 ll prisoners in prisons across Turkey, 458 of whom are in serious condition that Forensic Medicine Institute (ATK) officially reports, "they cannot stay in prison". 261 ill prisoners, 84 of whom are in serious condition, are in the prisons in the Aegean Region.
 
Turkey’s parliament on April 14 accepted a prisoner release bill that allowed the release of tens of thousands of prisoners to address the immediate threat of coronavirus spreading in jails, but which critics slam for excluding those jailed on terrorism charges. 
The law proposed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP),  has been criticized by opposition parties and activists for excluding those jailed on terrorism charges, which include journalists, human rights activists and opposition politicians who face the risk of the pandemic in prisons.
 
As the restrictions brought to prisons due to a pandemic come to a point where they prevent the prisoners' access to health, nearly 100 families of the prisoners have applied in the last four months to the Aegean Association of Solidarity with the Families of Prisoners and Detainees (EGE TUHAY-DER). Among those, there are the families of Fatma Özbay, a prisoner in the Şakran Women's Closed Prison and of Mehmet Salih Filiz, a prisoner in Ödemiş Closed Prison. Their serious health problems being brought to the agenda from time the two prisoners' names are now publicly known.
 
VIOLATIONS OF RIGHTS TO THE POINT OF A HUMAN RIGHTS DRAMA
 
EGE TUHAY-DER Co-Chair Ahmet Ertaş stated that the violations of rights in the prisons of the Aegean Region are at the highest level. 
 
"Together with the COVID-19 prisoners' right to treatment and health prisoners began to be usurped. Social activities, infirmary, canteen shopping and many other rights of the prisoners have been usurped as there is a lack of cleaning materials in the prisons," said Ertaş and added, "It is simply a human rights drama in prisons. The prisoners' health conditions are at serious risk. Prison administrations act arbitrarily."
 
Pointing out that this unlawfulness targets especially political prisoners, Ertaş stated that political prisoners are left to die in prisons as part of some political revenge, which excluded them from the prisoner release law.
 
A WOMAN PRISONER UNDER THE RISK OF DEATH: FATMA ÖZBAY
 
Ertaş tells the story of Fatma Özbay, a prisoner in İzmir's Şakran Women's Closed Prison saying that despite having cancer, Özbay was prevented from receiving treatment.
 
Ertaş shared the following information regarding the health status of Özbay: "Unfortunately, she is not taken to the hospital. Even if she is taken outside to the hospital, then they require her to stay in quarantine for 14 days in complete isolation, but the thing is seriously ill prisoners are not in the condition to look after themselves. Their immune system is weak. Ill prisoners are in a seriously vulnerable position considering the pandemic. Özbay and other ill prisoners are at risk of death in prisons."
 
RELEASE THE ILL PRISONERS
 
Calling for the authorities, especially the Ministry of Justice, to hear the voice of the ill prisoners Ertaş said, "The oppression in prisons should be ended as soon as possible. Ill prisoners shall be released and they should receive medical treatment," and noted that they will continue their democratic struggle to ensure that these demands are fully met. 
 

View More Articles

02/07/2025
16:16 People of Şirnex demand cancel of dam projects
13:45 Delegation from Europe demands immediate and unconditional release of Öcalan
11:44 Attack on Baloch women in Iran: 1 dead, 11 injured
11:12 Abdullah Öcalan sends message to European delegation
10:12 Women to convey demands on process to Parliament
09:27 Occupation continues in Serêkaniyê, Girê Spî, and Efrîn
09:21 Embargo continues in Makhmur: Hundreds of patients unable to access treatment
09:20 Health of ill prisoners worsens in Antalya prisons
09:19 ‘Workers must be the subject of the process’
09:18 Increased Pressure on Kurds in Iran: Demand for autonomy suppressed
01/07/2025
16:17 Details of the draft DEM Party to submit for the commission
15:15 European Delegation Visits DEM Party in Istanbul
15:07 Family of Rozerin Çukur Reacts to Constitutional Court Ruling: We could not find justice
13:09 Delegation from Europe submits petition to meet Abdullah Öcalan
13:00 Fatma Bostan Ünsal: Concrete legal and political steps must accompany peace rhetoric
11:50 Bar Association Chairs urge TBB to form legal monitoring committees
11:10 Seferi Yılmaz: Everyone must work for peace against war profiteers
09:39 Let’s hold firmly to the process says Writer Faik Tac
08:32 Tatvan festival: We women are ready for process
08:27 Operation against CHP members in Izmir: Tunç Soyer detained
30/06/2025
17:00 Amed Ecology Assembly: Let's defend nature with communes
14:54 Women's festival on its second day
14:15 Kerim Boran releases
11:46 Mothers: Unity must be achieved
10:57 People want to meet Abdullah Öcalan to come to Turkey
10:42 Civil society organisations call on government to take steps
10:14 4 years since the Istanbul Convention cancelled: We will not give up
09:26 Presidential pardon for ill prisoner Boran
29/06/2025
15:24 Struggle of the Kurdish people will end in victory says DBP Chair Bayındır
14:21 'Women should be involved in process'
13:48 Labour in Democratic Society Workshop: Let’s be builders, not watchers
12:25 War increases the number of disabled
11:56 According to Constitutional Court, killing of Rozerin Cukur lawful!
10:43 Journalists: Those threatening our colleague must be prosecuted
10:28 The problems of the 'Others' await solutions
09:47 Constitutional jurist Yokuş: The process will succeed with legal guarantees
08:00 Final declaration of Sheikh Seid conference published
27/06/2025
18:04 Call for Freedom of Abdullah Öcalan at UK Parliament
16:26 Rights organisations declare start to work to contribute to process
15:00 Şırnak Journalists Association: We stand by Zeynep Durgut
14:56 Prison report: Even the most basic human rights have been suspended
13:50 Abdullah Öcalan sends message to conference in Brussels
12:12 Families apply to İmralı Directorate
11:15 From Amed to the government: Call to ‘take action and end operations’
09:25 ‘Child detention increases crime rates’
09:25 Meral Danış Beştaş: Developments in the Middle East urge Turkey to resolve its internal issues
09:24 Lost four family members during the conflict: The state must take steps
09:23 Crisis felt in Wan and Qers: The solution lies in peace
09:22 Father of two sons buried under a sidewalk: Only peace can ease our pain
08:37 5 regions declared as 'special security zones' in Şirnex