Yıldırım Han, an ailing inmate, died Wednesday night following his transfer to a hospital in Ankara for medical treatment, the Bianet news website reported on Thursday.
Han, who was incarcerated at the Şırnak Type-T Prison in southeastern Turkey, had been brought to the capital city approximately two weeks ago due to his deteriorating health.
In an interview before his death, Han voiced concerns about the conditions faced by prisoners. “We are in extreme isolation. No hot water is provided at all. Guards arbitrarily impose disciplinary punishments on us. We want these practices to end,” he said.
According to statistics published by the Human Rights Association (İHD), there were 1,517 sick inmates in prisons in 2022, 65 of whom were critically ill. Although most of the seriously ill patients have forensic and medical reports deeming them unfit to remain in prison, they are not released. Authorities refuse to free them on the grounds that they pose a potential danger to society.
The 2023 İHD report highlighted extensive rights violations within the country’s prison system. It documented at least 10,789 rights violations, including the death of 81 prisoners the previous year. Notably, six of these prisoners died shortly after their release, underscoring the critical healthcare challenges faced by incarcerated individuals.
