The health of seriously ill prisoner Devrim Ayık, who is 76 percent disabled, is quickly deteriorating. His mother, Hülya Ayık, requested that he be transferred to Antalya Prison for treatment or released.
According to the Human Rights Association (IHD) data, there are 1564 ill prisoners in Turkish jails, 651 of whom are seriously ill. 33-year-old Devrim Ayık, who is 76 percent disabled, is among those prisoners.
Ayık, who was detained while distributing Özgür Halk Magazine in Izmir in 2015, was arrested on allegations of "being a member of a terrorist organization" and "aiding an illegal organization".
Ayık, who was taken to Izmir Kırıklar F Type Closed Prison, was first transferred to Antalya L Type Closed Prison and then to Eskişehir H Type Closed Prison due to health problems.
His health condition deteriorated in Antalya Prison, and he was released in 2018, but was arrested again in January 2021 and sent to Edirne F Type Prison. Ayık had two surgeries as he suffers from Crohn's disease. He has completely lost his vision in one eye, and the other eye is 32 degrees myopic. Additionally, he has 30 percent hearing loss in his left ear and 50 percent hearing loss in his right ear.
According to Mezopotamya Agency, Ayık said in the letter he sent to his family that their referral to the hospital was late and that he needed surgery due to his ear condition, but it was unclear whether he would receive treatment.
Stating that her son's illness had reached serious levels, Hülya Ayık asked for him to be transferred to Antalya Prison for treatment or to be released. Stating that their request for transfer to Antalya was rejected, mother Ayık said that Eskişehir H Type Closed Prison gave disciplinary punishments to the prisoners who did not accept the imposition of "mouth searches" during transfer to the hospital.
Ayık said that the prisoners were deprived of all rights through arbitrary practices, and that the Prison Observation Board imposed "declarations of remorse" on the prisoners who completed their sentence, adding that the release of those who did not accept this was prevented.
Hülya Ayık said: "Isolation and arbitrary practices should end as soon as possible. Otherwise, the Minister of Justice and prison administrations will be responsible for all the negativities that will occur in prisons. We demand that they give up this cruelty before any mother's heart is broken."
