A 56-year-old Kurdish prisoner remains behind bars after suffering a heart attack despite a medical assessment showing severely impaired heart function, while awaiting a decision on a request to suspend his sentence on medical grounds, the Mezopotamya news agency reported.
At a news conference on Wednesday the Şanlıurfa Bar Association, medical professionals and human rights groups presented a joint report on the health of Celal Yıldırım, who is incarcerated in southeastern Şanlıurfa province. Yıldırım was returned to prison on October 13 after treatment for the October 2 heart attack.
Yıldırım underwent two angiographies and spent eight days in intensive care. An October 5 cardiology assessment found that his heart’s pumping function was severely impaired and identified the need for continued medical monitoring.
On October 19 Yıldırım was taken back to the hospital after experiencing chest pain and difficulty breathing. The joint report said he became ill during the trip and required emergency treatment.
At Wednesday’s news conference Ahmet Taş, a lawyer and member of the Association for Assistance and Solidarity with Families of Detainees and Convicts (TUHAY-DER), called for a new cardiology assessment, uninterrupted access to medication and specialist care, and continued hospital treatment if necessary.
Yıldırım’s lawyer, Bekir Benek, applied to the prosecutor’s office on October 5 to request the suspension of his sentence on medical grounds.
Separately, the prison’s Administration and Observation Board ruled against Yıldırım’s transfer to a lower-security prison and supervised release on October 12. Benek challenged the decision on October 20.
The joint report also detailed allegations of mistreatment during Yıldırım’s hospitalization. He told representatives of the organizations on October 23 that he had been handcuffed during hospital visits and while receiving treatment, including in intensive care. He also complained of restricted access to his lawyer and inadequate medical monitoring after his return to prison.
Yıldırım is serving a prison sentence of more than six years for membership in a terrorist organization following a 2019 investigation. His conviction was upheld by the Supreme Court of Appeals in 2024.
Under Article 16 of Turkey’s Law on the Execution of Sentences, a prison sentence may be suspended if continued imprisonment poses a serious danger to the prisoner’s life or, under certain conditions, if serious illness or disability prevents the prisoner from managing daily life independently in prison.
