Esmihan Abi (82), the mother of a seriously ill prisoner in Turkey, made the following appeal: ”I want to see him when we are both alive”. She has not been able to see her son for several years.
According to Turkey’s Human Rights Association (İHD), there are 1,605 prisoners who are ill in the country, 604 of whom are seriously ill and face the risk of death if they remain unreleased.
Prisoners’ rights of treatment are being violated in Turkey and many are unable to meet their own care and medical needs in prison, the IHD reported. At least 49 ill-prisoners lost their lives in 2020, the Association noted.
Ebedin Abi is one of the 604 heavily ill prisoners in the country. He was detained and sentenced to an aggravated life sentence in Şırnak (Şırnex) in 1996 and has been in prison for 25 years in Kayseri Bünyan No 2 T-Type Closed Prison. He has severe heart, diabetes, blood pressure, loss of vision health problems and also has lung and leg disorders. He recently lost weight and is now just 45 kg, noted the Ill-Prisoners Freedom Initiative.
Esmihan Abi: ‘I want to see my son before he dies’
Ebedin Abi’s mother, 82-year-old Esmihan Abi, told Mesopotamia Agency (MA) that the last time she was able to see her imprisoned son was six years ago: “I want to see my son before he dies. Let him be free, let me see him alive”. She said that her son had several operations and she has not been able to see him since.
Sentenced to prison based upon testimonies taken under torture
Ebedin Abi’s wife also questioned the way in which he was sentenced: “The court process for my husband lasted ten years and eventually he received life imprisonment based upon the testimony that was taken under torture”.
“I have not been able to see my husband for three years”, she noted. “After he was imprisoned, he was diagnosed with diabetes and heart disease. He underwent several operations. His illnesses get worse every day. I want my husband to be released because of these severe health problems. I want not only my husband, but all the ill prisoners to be released”, she said.
