The plight of ill prisoners
The plight of ill prisoners
The plight of ill prisoners
Ill prisoners issue in Turkey, just like many other major problems in the country, continues to remain a bleeding wound as hundreds of ill prisoners waiting to be released are trying to hold on to the life while suffering from challenging conditions in Turkish jails.
PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) prisoner Mehmet Başçı is among the hundreds of ill prisoners left to their fate in jail.
Mehmet Başçı's nightmare begins with the explosion of a bomb at the shoe store he was working for on 4 October 2005. One person, Erdal Meşe, allegedly a member of the PKK, lost his life in the explosion in which Başçı lost his two legs, his body burnt by 40 percent and his bones broken. Başçı was taken to Okmeydanı Training and Research Hospital where he was immediately taken under an operation.
Başçı was referred to the Beşiktaş specially authorized high criminal court without being allowed to recover at hospital after the operation. Prosecutor Mehmet Murat Yönder referred Başçı to the investigating judge, Selda Kutluata, despite the lack of any concrete evidences proving his involvement in the explosion.
Judge Kutluata rejected the arresst demand for Başçı considering his physical and medical condition. Prosecut Yönder however rejected the court's decision, alleging that Başçı had allowed Erdal Meşe into the shoe store despite knowing that he was a PKK member, and kept watch during the explosion.
After the assesment of the prosecutor's rejection, the board of the 12th High Criminal Court rejected the arrest demand on the grounds that Başçı needed medical dressing once every two days and regular medical treatment, warning that his imprisonment would aggrieve him as he wouldn't manage to take care of himself while in jail.
Five years later, things went back to square one as Başçı was jailed and sent to Tekirdağ No 1 F Type Prison on 9 November 2010 after the penal department no. 9 of the supreme court approved the prison sentence 13th High Criminal Court had asked for him for allegedly being a member of the PKK and keeping explosives.
Lawyers for the Istanbul Branch of Human Rights Association (IHD) applied to 13th High Criminal Court for the stay of Başçı's execution in the scope of the third judicial package. The court ruled not Başçı's release but his transfer to Tekirdağ state hospital.
The report the hospital prepared after Başçı's examination listed all his health problems and stated that he should be transferred to Metris R Type (Rehabilitation) Prison.
Since his transfer to Metris R Type prison on 31 July 2013, Başçı is trying to maintain his life under challenging conditions and without receiving any medical treatment just like hundreds of other il prisoners held in jails across the country.