Human rights advocates have called for the immediate release of Makbule Özer, an 82-year-old Kurdish woman detained again in Turkey despite her frail health and multiple serious medical conditions. The renewed calls came during weekly vigils of the Saturday Mothers and Peace Mothers, after a controversial forensic report deemed her fit for prison, sparking widespread condemnation and protests.
The Human Rights Association’s Istanbul branch highlighted Özer’s plight during their 631st “F Sit-In” outside their Beyoğlu office on Saturday. Activists displayed banners and chanted for Özer’s release, stressing the lethal risk of imprisonment due to her diabetes, asthma and osteoporosis. “The decision to detain her again poses a severe threat to her health and life,” stated Hatice Onaran, a member of the association’s Prison Commission.
In a passionate outcry against the systemic injustices, Raife Özbey of the Diyarbakir (Amed) Peace Mothers questioned the rationale behind imprisoning an elderly woman. “What crime could an 82-year-old commit that justifies this incarceration? We reject these fascist laws that imprison an old woman,” Özbey expressed during the gathering.
The case of Makbule Özer, initially arrested in May 2022 for allegedly aiding a terrorist organisation and temporarily released due to health concerns, has become emblematic of Turkey’s harsh stance on political prisoners.
Background
In July 2018, Makbule Özer and her husband Hadi Özer had their home raided in Kurdish-majority Van’s (Wan) Edremit (Artemêtan) district under the allegation of ‘harbouring members of a terrorist organisation’. Following the raid, all family members were detained, and the couple was later charged with ‘aiding and abetting a terrorist organisation’. They were both sentenced to two years and six months in prison. After the Supreme Court of Appeals upheld the sentence, the Özers were imprisoned on 9 May 2022 in Van High-Security Prison.
Makbule Özer, who is 61 percent disabled and suffers from multiple illnesses, had her sentence postponed for a year and was released on 7 September 2022; Hadi Özer was released after serving his sentence.
A year later, the Council of Forensic Medicine (ATK) issued a second report stating that Makbule could remain in prison despite previous reports’ contradictions. As a result, she was rearrested on 22 April 2024 and sent back to Van T Type Closed Prison.
Controversy arose when it was revealed that the translator for Özer, who does not speak Turkish, was a security officer. Lawyer Erhan Çiftçiler criticised the forensic authority’s approach, stating, “ATK [Turkey’s Council of Forensic Medicine] keeps people in prison unless they are near death or about to die.”
Çiftçiler condemned the discriminatory policies evident in the execution law, particularly in political crimes, suggesting that without the stringent policies adopted in 2020, such harsh treatments would not be discussed today. He highlighted the injustice in the system that declares individuals like Özer, who cannot live independently, fit for prison life.
Medeni Özer, son of Makbule, condemned the legal system’s dismissal of justice when it concerns Kurds. He criticised the persistent denial and destructive policies towards Kurds and appealed for her release, questioning how an 82-year-old woman could possibly be fit for prison conditions.
Despite legal frameworks allowing for leniency towards ill or elderly inmates, the execution of these provisions remains inconsistent, especially with regards to Kurdish political dissidents, leaving many fighting for justice.
