A university student arrested for joining nationwide protests over the detention and subsequent arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has claimed that prison authorities are denying him essential medication, the Bianet website reported.
Emirhan Yılmaz, 21, currently held in Istanbul’s Silivri Prison, stated in a letter to his lawyer that he has bipolar disorder but has been unable to get his medication behind bars. “I’ve been in prison for five days and haven’t been able to take my medicine during that time,” he said.
Bipolar disorder is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood changes. Medication is essential for managing the disease.
Yılmaz added that besides medications, basic necessities such as toothbrushes and hygiene products were also unavailable in prison.
Yılmaz is one of more 300 hundred people who have been arrested since March 19, when İmamoğlu was detained.
İmamoğlu and two İstanbul district mayors were among more than 100 people targeted by detention orders issued by the İstanbul chief public prosecutor on March 19. He was arrested on March 23 and remanded to pretrial detention on charges including bribery, embezzlement and unlawful acquisition of personal data.
Since İmamoğlu’s detention, protests have erupted across the nation, with law enforcement responding with a brutal crackdown. Media reports have surfaced detailing detainees’ harrowing testimony of unlawful strip-searches, sexual harassment and physical abuse in custody. Several detainees have filed complaints against the police alleging mistreatment.
