A total of 93 prisoners have died in Turkish prisons over the past 17 months according to the Human Rights Association (İHD).
İHD data reveals that 78 prisoners died in 2022, with an additional 15 deaths recorded in the first five months of 2023. These deaths have been attributed to various factors, including limited access to healthcare and controversial decisions made by the Forensic Medicine Institution (ATK). Many of these deaths occurred under suspicious circumstances.
There are currently 1,517 ill prisoners in Turkish prisons, 651 of whom are classified as seriously ill. Recently, Abdulhalim Kırtay, a prisoner of 30 years who was listed as seriously ill by the İHD, died on 12 May, just two months after his release. Behçet Kaplan, a 31-year-old prisoner who was serving a 15-year sentence for alleged membership in an illegal organisation, died on 15 May in Ahlat T Type Prison after spending nine years behind bars.
Ahmet Çiçek, the spokesman for the İHD Izmir Branch Prisons Commission, highlighted the restricted access to healthcare for political prisoners. He pointed out that prisoners are often not transported to hospitals by ambulance, causing their conditions to worsen. As a result, some detainees refuse to seek medical treatment due to the inadequate and delayed healthcare provisions, ultimately leading to their deaths. Çiçek also criticised the ATK, alleging it aligns itself with the government’s interests.
Çiçek further emphasised the need to address the double standards applied by the government, citing the release of Hizbullah members while other seriously ill prisoners remain incarcerated. He condemned these practices as a manifestation of “enemy law” and called for equal treatment and the abandonment of such discriminatory policies.
Recently, Zekeriya Muhammed, a Rojavan prisoner held in Hilvan Prison in Turkey’s southeastern Kurdish-majority Şanlıufra (Riha), was assaulted by soldiers while receiving medical treatment at a hospital. Muhammed, who was charged with “membership in an illegal organisation,” has been incarcerated for two years. According to witnesses, soldiers accompanying Muhammed subjected him to physical abuse, including beating him with the butt of a gun, resulting in injuries to his head. The incident came to light after the İHD received a complaint and subsequently visited Muhammed in prison. İHD plans to file a criminal complaint against the responsible individuals. The incident highlights concerns about the treatment of political prisoners and the need to protect their rights and well-being in accordance with national laws and international conventions.
