ISTANBUL - The director of the Istanbul Medical Chamber, Osman Küçükosmanoğlu, said that the Forensic Medicine Institute (FMI), which reports that ill prisoners "can stay in prison", is committing a crime against humanity.

 

The increase in violations of rights in prisons causes deaths in prisons. According to the two-year data of the Human Rights Association (İHD) covering 2020 and 2021, 59 detainees lost their lives in prisons. Osman Küçükosmanoğlu, a member of the Executive Board of the Istanbul Medical Chamber, said that the detainees could not access health care and that they received many applications regarding this matter, and noted that the Forensic Medicine Institute (FMI), which prepared the report ill prisoners can remain in prison despite their serious illnesses, is committing a crime against humanity.

 

PANDEMIC USED AS AN EXCUSE

 

Stating that the problem of access to health in prisons has been going on for a long time, Küçükosmanoğlu stated that this problem has skyrocketed during the pandemic. Küçükosmanoğlu stated that the rights of the detainees were blocked under the pretext of the pandemic, and pointed out that there were some problems such as the prevention of family and lawyer visits, the right to treatment, and the prevention of their right to socialize.  

 

'PRISON CONDIRITONS ARE GETTING WORSE'

 

Küçükosmanoğlu shared that they received many applications regarding rights violations and said, “The violations of rights experienced by political prisoners regarding access to health are skyrocketing. Although this issue has been brought to the agenda, necessary arrangements are not made. Although Covid measures have been lifted in many areas, violations such as not allowing contact visits in prisons and preventing detainees' access to health care continue. The prison conditions are getting worse, not better."

 

Noting that in most of the application made to them the prisoners complain about access to health care, Küçükosmanoğlu said, "Prisoners are examined by doctors while they are handcuffed, they are transferred to hospitals in prison vehicles, the prisoners who need to see the doctor urgently are kept waiting and those who can not maintain their lives in prisons are not being released."

 

'FMI IS COMMITTING A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY'

 

Referring to the role of FMI in the situation of sick detainees, Küçükosmanoğlu said that the release of detainees who needed to be released was prevented. Underlining that FMI has never been independent, Küçükosmanoğlu emphasized that it has been an institution that is being instructed by the political power since its establishment. Küçükosmanoğlu said, “As a matter of fact, we saw that 7 prisoners lost their lives in the prison within a month. We know that some of them are people with chronic diseases, who should be hospitalized, but are held in prison. This practice has turned into a torture. While the sentence of prisoners with chronic diseases and advanced disease should be postponed, they continue to be held in prison by the political decisions of the FMI. This is a crime against humanity."

 

THE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM

 

Saying that the violations of rights in prisons have become "a disgrace to Turkey", Küçükosmanoğlu said, "This problem in prison is related to the general situation of the country. It is necessary to create sufficient public opinion about this. We don't just expect an improvement in prisons alone. Both this problem in prisons and a general democracy must be established to avoid these problems." Küçükosmanoğlu stated that everyone should be sensitive to the problems in prisons and underlined that the problem can only be solved when the government changes.