İsmail Tanboğa was just 16 when he was imprisoned by Turkey on the charges of “violating the unity and territorial integrity of the state” and “willful killing”. He was detained during the curfews in Cizre in 2015 and was given four aggravated life sentences by the court.
Six years later, Tanboğa is suffering from stomach cancer.
“My son was a sportsman before he was imprisoned, he was very healthy”, said his father, Abdullah Tanboğa, to the Mesopotamia News Agency.
İsmail Tanboğa is currently incarcerated in the Iskenderun T-type Closed Prison and is losing weight every day. He has problems with his throat, back and kidneys, and vomits everything he eats and drinks, including water. Several times he has requested proper treatment but has not been transferred to a hospital despite his condition.
His family applied to the Human Rights Organisation (İHD) for help. “My son is now down to 38 kilos”, said his father. “He doesn’t eat anything. Meals that should be provided for him are not given. Ward mates are helping my son. His condition is very bad. He is constantly vomiting. I want my son to get proper medical treatment”.
According to reports by the Human Rights Association (İHD), there are 1,564 ill patients in Turkish prisons. Among that number, 605 are seriously ill. However, like İsmail Tanboğa, none of them is provided proper medical treatment and the situation has only worsened since the coronavirus pandemic.
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