At least 1,412 inmates, including hundreds who are critically ill, are being held in Turkish prisons under conditions that exacerbate their health problems, according to a new report released Monday by the Human Rights Association (İHD).
The report, based on information gathered from prisoner families, lawyers and prison visits, found that 335 prisoners are in critical condition, with 230 unable to manage their basic daily needs by themselves.
Among the sick prisoners identified, the report documented a wide range of serious illnesses. Heart disease was the most common, affecting at least 295 inmates. There were 122 cases of cancer, and 126 prisoners were diagnosed with diabetes. Mental health disorders, including schizophrenia, depression and psychosis, were identified in 94 cases.
Additionally, the association recorded cases of tuberculosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (84 prisoners), kidney and urinary tract disease (122 prisoners), liver disease such as hepatitis and cirrhosis (100 prisoners) and neurological conditions including Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome and multiple sclerosis (at least 33 prisoners). Orthopedic problems and vision and hearing impairments were also prevalent among the inmate population.
The İHD said it likely reached only a portion of the affected population due to barriers in communication and limited access to medical records. “We are only able to reach a very small portion of the sick prisoners,” the group said.
In addition to the numbers, the report detailed prison conditions that the İHD said worsen prisoners’ health. It cited the use of handcuffs during medical examinations, prolonged waits in unheated or overheated prison transport vehicles, overcrowded cells, limited access to clean water and insufficient food. The association also described reports of prisoners being restrained in their beds during treatment and facing invasive security searches that deter them from seeking hospital care.
Despite repeated parliamentary inquiries, the Turkish Ministry of Justice has not provided official data on the number of sick prisoners, the report said.
The İHD called for urgent attention to the conditions of sick inmates, emphasizing that some health conditions are incompatible with continued imprisonment.
