Ill prisoner Tanhan dies 43 days later after being sent to hospital

Cemal Tanhan, suffering from stage four cancer died 43 days later after being first sent to hospital.

Another ill prisoner died a few days after being released. Cemal Tanhan (68), was a seriously ill prisoner. He was held in Bolu F Type Closed Prison and had spent 29 years in jail. He was taken to Bolu İzzet Baysal State Hospital after suffering a stroke on 23 October, and from there he was transferred to the General Surgery Department of Eskişehir City Hospital on 27 October. Tanhan, whose release was decided on 6 November, died 43 days after being first taken to hospital.

Tanhan's family and relatives set out for Eskişehir to collect the body. The family stated that Tanhan will be buried in Izmir.

Not released despit 4 requests

His daughter, Ayşe Tanhan, told Mezopotamya Agency that she had talked to her father's doctor about his health on 27 November. She said, "My father's doctor said, 'We removed the water accumulated in his lungs. We will change the medications he takes. If the treatment goes well, we will try to wake him up. This way, maybe we can transfer him.' But my father has been receiving treatment for a long time. His condition was getting worse every day, because he was in prison. His treatment started late. Maybe if he had been treated early and had been outside, he would not have worsened like this."

The Human Rights Association (IHD) Ankara Branch applied 4 times in 2023 for Tanhan's release. The first application was made on 12 January 2023 to the Prison Detention Houses (CTE) and the Turkish Grand National Assembly Human Rights Investigation Commission. The second application was submitted to CTE and the Parliamentary Human Rights Investigation Commission on 7 April 2023. The third application to the same institutions was made on 23 June 2023 and the fourth was made to the CTE, the Parliamentary Human Rights Investigation Commission, the Prison Prosecutor's Office and the Ministry of Health on 9 October 2023. However, not one of these requests got the hoped results and Tanhan was not released.