A retired imam diagnosed with advanced lymphoma died in Kırşehir Prison on Thursday after Turkish authorities repeatedly denied his requests for postponement of his sentence on grounds of health, the Bold Medya news website reported on Friday.
Hüsamettin Karadeniz, in his 60s, had been imprisoned since 2021 after Turkey’s Supreme Court of Appeals upheld his six-year sentence for alleged ties to the faith-based Gülen movement, inspired by the late Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been targeting followers of the movement since corruption investigations revealed in 2013 implicated then-prime minister Erdoğan as well as some of his family members and inner circle.
Dismissing the investigations as a Gülenist coup and conspiracy against his government, Erdoğan designated the movement a terrorist organization and began targeting its members. He intensified the crackdown on the movement following a failed coup in 2016, which he accused Gülen of masterminding.
Gülen and the movement have strongly denied involvement in the coup attempt or any terrorist activity.
Karadeniz developed lymphatic cancer while incarcerated; yet, authorities dismissed multiple appeals for his release on medical grounds.
Under Turkish Law No. 5275, prisoners suffering from severe illness or disabilities that prevent them from living independently under prison conditions can have their sentences suspended, provided they are not deemed a danger to society. However, human rights organizations have long criticized the selective application of the law, particularly for political prisoners.
Human rights advocate and opposition lawmaker Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu of the pro-Kurdish People’s Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) publicly highlighted Karadeniz’s case in 2022.
Gergerlioğlu shared on X that the retired Karadeniz had been denied adequate medical care.
Karadeniz was sent to Ankara University Oncology Hospital. However, the hospital reportedly refused to treat him due to his status as a prisoner, saying they did not have a prisoners’ ward in the hospital. He was then returned to prison.
Karadeniz was scheduled for release in May 2025, just four months before his death.
A well-known figure in Yozgat’s Kadışehri district, Karadeniz previously served as chairman of the Kadışehri Central Mosque Construction Association.
Karadeniz is survived by two sons. His funeral will be held in his hometown of Kadışehri, Yozgat province.
