70-year-old prisoner remains in prison despite not being able to meet his needs

Abdulbaki Harmancı, 70, who is being held in Erzurum H Type Prison, has serious health problems and is no longer able to meet his needs.

70-year-old Abdulbaki Harmancı, who was sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in prison for "being a member of a terrorist organization" by the Bingöl 1st High Criminal Court in 2014 in Karlıova district of Bingöl, was arrested on 25 April 2021, after his sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court. After staying in Muş Prison for a while, Harmancı was transferred to Erzurum H-Type Closed Prison on 20 March, and is experiencing serious health problems. Harmancı cannot meet his needs due to his age and poor health.

ATK gave a report without any examination

Ferit Harmancı said that his father was sentenced only with the testimony of a secret witness, and added: “My father was arrested after his sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court. My father, who had a sudden illness in prison a short time ago, was referred to the Istanbul Forensic Medicine Institute (ATK) by the doctors of Muş State Hospital. He was sent back with a report stating that he could stay in prison even though no examination had been done at the ATK.”

Stating that his father was transferred to Erzurum against his will at the end of March, Harmancı listed his father's health problems as follows: “My father is a person who had open heart surgery. He has severe stomach wounds, a malfunctioning heart valve. He cannot see from one eye. He has varicose veins on his right leg and hearing problems. He is having shortness of breath. It is not possible for a person who is 70 years old to survive in prison. How can a person with such diseases be kept in prison and how can the ATK say that he can actually stay in prison? We want him to be sent to house arrest."