Sick prisoner: This could be our last conversation

The precarious situation in Turkish prisons has deteriorated dramatically with the Coronavirus pandemic. In addition to the great danger of infection, health care has also been further reduced.

Ayhan Yilmaz has been in remand in T-type prison in Van for over two years. He suffers from shortness of breath and sleep apnea syndrome. His father Ibrahim Yilmaz spoke to him on the phone in the morning and said the following on their conversation: "Like the other sick prisoners, he is in a critical state of health. He says that health care has further deteriorated with the Coronavirus pandemic. Medical treatment is inadequate and not provided in time, so the health problems are getting worse every day".

Ibrahim Ayhan says that his son has been suffering from shortness of breath and sleep apnea syndrome for a long time: "The doctors in prison have recommended various treatments for him before, but these were not carried out. During our phone call today he had difficulty speaking. He coughed constantly and it was clear that he could hardly catch his breath. He said himself that he is not well and that we should be prepared for anything. He said, "This may be our last conversation."