ANKARA - Zilan Karagüzel, the daughter of  prisoner Muhlise Karagüzel (63), who was held in Kayseri Bünyan Women's Closed Prison and has many chronic diseases such as blood pressure, diabetes and asthma, said that the prisoner Muhlise Karagüzel had deteriorating health. She stated that her mother had severe respiratory problems and that an urgent nose surgery was not performed.

 

After the corona pandemic, the families of prisoners  are worried more about their children's health conditions. According to the Human Rights Association's (IHD) latest data, there are 1564 sick prisoners in prisons,  591 of them are seriously sick. Again, according to the data of the İHD covering the first 6 months of the year, 49 prisoners died in prison.

 

Muhlise Karagüzel (63), who is detained in Kayseri Bünyan Women's Closed Prison, is on the IHD's list of sick prisoners. She is just one of the sick prisoners whose conditions are worsening. Making evaluations about her mother's health and prison conditions, Zilan stated that the 14-day quarantine process started after Muhlise was taken to the hospital, but this process has been continuing for 20 days.

 

‘Muhlise is face to face with the death’

 

Stating that her mother has been in prison for about a year and a half, Zilan pointed out that while prisons had bad conditions before the pandemic, these conditions became more difficult after the pandemic. Noting that her mother Muhlise has many chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol, Zilan said, “There are reports about her diseases. At the same time, she has serious problems with her nose and respiratory distress. According to the doctors, my mother needs to undergo a surgery immediately for nasal and respiratory distress problems. But the prison prevents access to healthcare. When she applies to go to the hospital from prison, they state that surgery cannot be performed unless there is an emergency. This is an emergency. To experience respiratory distress means to face death. We are face to face with losing her due to her health problems. After the hospital process, a 14-days quarantine process was started but my mother has been in quarantine for 20 days. ”

 

'My mother is in danger of going blind'

 

Stating that her mother's diabetes was also advanced, Zilan said that she could not access the drugs and injections that she had to use regularly on a daily basis. She continued as follows: “After their medication and injections are finished, they are provided too late. This causes serious problems. My mother, who previously lost 85 percent of her eyesight in her right eye, is experiencing serious difficulties today. One of the main problems that sick prisoners experience in prisons is their problems with the hospital regarding their illnesses. Either not being taken to the hospital or no action taken when taken to the hospital makes the situation harder. Diabetes mostly affects her eyes and this can lead to temporary blindness. My mother is in danger of becoming  blind. It is really thought-provoking that she is still in prison despite all these reports.''

 

They found a tooth in their meal. This is a September 12 policy

 

Stating that in addition to all these problems in prisons, there are also serious problems at nutrition point, Zilan emphasized that political prisoners in prison are subjected to a very different and bad treatment especially after the law on execution of sentences. Zilan said, “These meals, which do not contain any vitamins, were given to the prisoners in very small amounts, causing serious difficulties. Canteen prices rose enormously. They give four bread to ten people. We tried to bring these situations to the agenda. There is a policy of training with hunger. My mom said in the phone call recently that there was a tooth in her meal. Prisoners applied for a petition to the administration regarding this. We also tried to do something from the outside.They always find somethings in their meals. This is a very ugly practice. To find a tooth in your meal makes you remember fascism of September 12. It is not humane to put a tooth in someone's meal. It is very sad that political prisoners, whose only demand is to establish an honorable peace, are faced with such an attitude ”.

 

'She lives with the help of her friends'

 

Noting that an "enemy policy" is applied to political prisoners, Zilan said that although there are many reports about her mother's chronic diseases, the Forensic Medicine Institute (ATK) gave a report that she could "stay in prison".  Saying, "My mother surve in very difficult conditions right now, she lives with the help of her friends," Zilan pointed out that the family meetings were also restricted due to the pandemic. Underlining that they could go to see her in prison 3 months ago, Zilan said, '' When we went to visit her in the prison we saw that her conditions were not good. Due to her nose's health problem she had a problem with breathing and there were swellings on her face and eyes. We could see that she was experiencing very serious difficulties. When my mother was taken to the hospital, the doctor said that she would never be in operation. My mother is also on the sick prisoner list of IHD.  I, my mother and her lawyers applied for a petition for surgery as soon as possible ”.

 

'We do not want any action to result in death'

 

Drawing attention to the hunger strikes started in prisons, Zilan said, “We do not want any action to result in death. So we want the authorities to take action as soon as possible and to fulfill prisoners' justified and legitimate demands. We lost dozens of our friends in death fasts and hunger strikes for years. As the people living such difficult times and painful processes, we no longer want to experience a loss too. We do not want dead bodies to come out of prisons. We do not want to lose our relatives and loved ones in prison. In this sense, the Ministry of Justice should fulfill the justified demands as soon as possible ”.

 

'Preventing their evacuation is an enemy law'

 

Recalling the government's "judicial reform" rhetoric, Zilan stated that the detention of hundreds of people following this statement is an indication of insincerity. Stating that sick prisoners should be released, Zilan said, “Preventing the evacuation of prisoners who cannot stay in prison is an enemy law. We demand that the sick prisoners be released as soon as possible and that the conditions of the prisoners become more livable. The measures taken by the prison administration for itself are too many, but there are no measures taken for the prisoners ”.