RIHA - The release of seriously ill prisoner İsmail Hakkı Tursun, who has been held in prison for 31 years, was postponed for the third time on the grounds that he was not of "good behavior".

 

İsmail Hakkı Tursun (59), who was sentenced to life imprisonment after being arrested in Amed(Diyarbakır) on December 30, 1992, is not released even though he has completed his release. The release of Tursun, who was held in Urfa High Security Closed Prison No. 2, was postponed for the third time due to the report prepared by the Prison Administration and Observation Board that he was not of "good behavior". The Administration and Observation Board, which first met on December 8, 2022, decided to postpone his release on December 9, 2022. It postponed the release of Tursun for 6 months and 5 days on the grounds that he had "no regrets" for Tursun, who completed the release on June 7, and for 6 months and 5 days for the same reason on June 7. Finally, the board met on December 13 and postponed the release for 9 months and 5 days.

 

The hunger strike action launched against the postponement of release, the isolation imposed on PKK Leader Abdullah Öcalan and the increasing rights violations after the State of Emergency (OHAL), the attacks against Afrin, the hunger strike held in 2018 against isolation and uniform dress, the hunger strike protested against the practices in prisons. The applications, shouting slogans during ward changes and "disciplinary punishments" given by the prison disciplinary board were cited as reasons. In the decision, it was stated that Tursun had been imprisoned in prison for 31 years and said: "He declared that he has no regrets." In the justification, it was concluded that Tursun was not of "good behavior" because he does not "regret" for the crimes he committed. The Board determined the next evaluation date as 25 September 2024.

 

WHO IS İSMAİL HAKKI TURSUN?

 

Tursun, who was arrested on December 30, 1992 on the grounds of "aiding an organization", was put in Antep Type H Closed Prison. Tursun was sentenced to life imprisonment on the charge of "disrupting the unity and integrity of the state". Tursun, who was transferred to Elbistan Type E Closed Prison on October 4, 2011, was transferred to Siverek No. 1 Type T Closed Prison on July 6, 2015. Tursun has been imprisoned in Urfa No. 2 High Security Closed Prison since September 28, 2016. Tursun, who is on the list of seriously ill prisoners of the Human Rights Association (IHD), has diseases such as hypertension, nosebleeds 2-3 times a week due to blood pressure and a herniated disc.

 

'HOSPITAL REFERRALS ARE MADE TOO LATE'

 

In the report jointly prepared by the Riha Bar Association, IHD and the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD) on 11 August 2023 regarding the ill prisoners held in Riha prisons, Tursun included the following regarding his diseases: “I have Hypertension Disease. I go to the infirmary once a day so they can check my blood pressure. My nose bleeds, vomits, etc. 2-3 times a week due to hypertension. I also have a herniated disc. I go to the infirmary regularly for hypertension. The hospital doctor also gives a chart. According to that chart, after my treatment is given in the infirmary, I am transferred to the hospital. For hypertension, I go to the infirmary every day in accordance with the chart given by the hospital. Afterwards, you are transferred to the hospital; however, the referrals are made very late. Our treatment is not progressing according to routine. I need a hospital transfer, but it is done late despite the referral letter. Most people who are ill like me have problems. I have access to the infirmary doctor in case of an emergency. We are having problems with referrals to the infirmary or hospital. It's done too late. We occasionally experience ill-treatment on our way to and from the hospital. Oral cavity searches, handcuffed examinations, and arbitrary searches are carried out."

 

OPINION OF THE MEDICAL CHAMBER

 

The report also included the following opinions of the Riha Medical Chamber regarding Tursun: "Hypertension: The patient's treatment plan should be made by a Cardiology and Internal Medicine specialist, regular blood pressure monitoring should be done in the prison to ensure that the patient's blood pressure is brought to normotension levels, and the patient's need for unsalted food should be provided, and the patient should be able to walk. You should be provided with the opportunity to exercise regularly. Nose Bleeding: The patient should be evaluated by an ENT Specialist and the need for surgical treatment of the capillaries causing bleeding should be evaluated. Lumbar Disc Herniation: The patient should be evaluated by a Neurosurgeon in terms of herniated disc and the need for an operation. If there is no need for an operation, the patient should be evaluated by a physical therapist and the necessary meditation should be provided."

 

MA / Emrullah Acar