Hatice Doğru, a four-months pregnant woman arrested during a mass crackdown on the Gülen movement in Turkey’s Gaziantep province, was forced to go through an X-ray scanner to enter a hospital despite her objections over potential harm to her unborn child, the TR724 news website reported.
Doğru, who suffers from cardiac arrhythmia and has a history of miscarriage, requested medical attention after her heart condition worsened. She had previously avoided seeking care out of concern that she would be subjected to the scanner. However, the prosecutor rejected her request to be exempted, insisting that she must go through the device to access hospital care.
Inmates in Turkish prisons are typically required to go through an X-ray security scanner when exiting and re-entering the facility, including for medical visits. While the possibility of an X-ray during pregnancy causing harm to a fetus is considered small, some medical experts say it should be avoided unless medically necessary as there is a chance it could cause birth defects.
The conditions under which inmates are taken to hospitals in Turkey have faced ongoing criticism. Detainees are often reportedly transported in handcuffs and, in some cases, forced to undergo medical examinations while still restrained. Others have been subjected to strip-searches before and after hospital visits. As a result, many inmates say they forgo medical care altogether to avoid such degrading treatment.
Doğru was detained on May 6 during a raid on her home in Gaziantep. She was arrested by a court pending trial despite her pregnancy over alleged links to Gülen movement on May 9.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been targeting followers of the Gülen movement, inspired by the late Muslim cleric Fethullah Gülen, since the corruption investigations of 2013, which implicated then-prime minister Erdoğan, his family members and inner circle.
Dismissing the investigations as a Gülenist coup and conspiracy against his government, Erdoğan designated the movement as a terrorist organization and began targeting its members. He intensified the crackdown on the movement following an abortive putsch in 2016, which he accused Gülen of masterminding.
Gülen and the movement strongly deny involvement in the coup attempt or any terrorist activity.
Doğru’s husband said his wife has only been able to see the doctor once since her arrest, despite her health problems.
Under Law No. 5275, pregnant women and mothers with children under 18 months should typically be allowed to remain free pending trial.
Doğru’s detention was part of a sweeping police operation launched on May 6 across 47 provinces, centered in Gaziantep, targeting alleged followers of the movement. The operation initially resulted in the detention of 208 individuals, most of them university students and recent graduates, with the number later rising to 320, according to defense lawyers.
Her family continues to call for her immediate release, saying her health and the well-being of her unborn child are at serious risk.
