Social media users since Monday have been calling on Turkish authorities to release Özge Özbek, a former municipal social worker suffering from multiple brain tumors and a brain hemorrhage while in prison.
Özbek was sent to prison in October 2020 on conviction on terrorism-related charges despite a medical report stating she should not be incarcerated due to her condition. She was in the hospital days after undergoing brain surgery. Following her family’s appeal, she was released, and the execution of her sentence was suspended for three months.
On July 11, 2023, Özbek lost her balance and hit her head on a hard object in prison.
According to her husband, Özgür, MRI and CT scans revealed a brain hemorrhage and an increase in the number of tumors in her brain, necessitating another operation. He also said she frequently experiences headaches, seizures and loss of balance due to the tumors.
Despite another medical report after the brain hemorrhage stating she should not stay in prison, Turkey’s Council of Forensic Medicine (ATK) deemed her fit for imprisonment.
The ATK, a government agency consulted for its medical expertise in cases of sick prisoners, has recently drawn criticism for questionable reports finding ailing inmates fit to remain in prison. Prominent human rights advocates frequently accuse the institution of losing its independence in decision-making.
Turkish authorities have denied political prisoners, even those with critical illnesses, release from prison so they can seek proper treatment.
Turkey’s counterterrorism laws are often criticized by human rights groups and legal experts as overly broad and open to interpretation.
Many say there is no longer a separation of powers in the country and that members of the judiciary are under the control of the government and cannot make judgments based on the law.
Turkey was ranked 117th among 142 countries in the rule of law index published by the World Justice Project (WJP) in October, dropping one rank in comparison to the previous year.
